variants
or less commonly favella
: a settlement of jerry-built shacks lying on the outskirts of a Brazilian city
Examples of favela in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The operation, which took place in the city’s favelas — poor neighborhoods long plagued by organized crime — was the deadliest in Rio’s history, the BBC reported.
—
Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The Rio state government said the operation was its largest ever to target the Comando Vermelho gang, which controls the drug trade in several favelas - poor and densely populated settlements woven through the city's hilly oceanside terrain.
—Janaina Quinet, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Video published by Reuters on Tuesday showed huge columns of black smoke emerging from the Alemão favela during the raid.
—Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Shampoo grew up in Vila do Ipsep, a favela in Recife.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for favela
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The Rio state government said the operation was its largest ever to target the Comando Vermelho gang, which controls the drug trade in several favelas - poor and densely populated settlements woven through the city's hilly oceanside terrain.
—Janaina Quinet, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Video published by Reuters on Tuesday showed huge columns of black smoke emerging from the Alemão favela during the raid.
—Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Shampoo grew up in Vila do Ipsep, a favela in Recife.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for favela
Cite this Entry
“Favela.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/favela. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share