barrio

noun

bar·​rio ˈbär-ē-ˌō 

ˈber-,

ˈba-rē- 

plural barrios

1

: a ward, quarter, or district of a city or town in a Spanish-speaking country

2

: a Spanish-speaking quarter or neighborhood in a city or town in the U.S. especially in the Southwest

Examples of barrio in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Santurce While technically part of San Juan, the neighborhood or barrio of Santurce is worth highlighting for its thriving arts and music scene. —Eve Chen, USA Today, 28 June 2025

The most important number at Boca after the 10 of Maradona, Roman and Carlos Tevez: the 12th man, the extra man, the soul of the barrio that sails out of Boca, the mouth of port city Buenos Aires, and takes it to the world. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 16 June 2025

These sweeps have neighbors on edge, and have transformed the once-lively barrio. —Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 7 June 2025

Life in the barrios of Honduras is difficult for most Americans to even begin to picture. —Katherine Corcoran, New York Times, 20 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Arabic barrī of the open country, from barr outside, open country

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for barrio

• lothario

Kids Definition

barrio

noun

bar·​rio ˈbär-ē-ˌō  ˈbar- 

plural barrios

: a neighborhood where most of the people speak Spanish