ghetto

noun

ghet·to | \ ˈge-(ˌ)tō

plural ghettos also ghettoes

Definition of ghetto

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live

2 : a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure

3a : an isolated group a geriatric ghetto

b : a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity the pink-collar ghetto

ghetto

verb

ghettoed; ghettoing; ghettos

Definition of ghetto (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: ghettoize

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Did You Know?

The etymology of Italian ghetto was formerly the subject of much speculation, but today there is little doubt that the word comes from the Italian dialect form ghèto, meaning “foundry.” A foundry for cannons was once located on an island that forms part of Venice, where in 1516 the Venetians restricted Jewish residence. The word ghèto became the name for the area and was borrowed into standard Italian as ghetto, with the meaning of “section of a city where Jews are forced to live.” From there it passed into most other European languages. Since the late 19th century, the meaning of ghetto has been extended to crowded urban districts where other ethnic or racial groups have been confined by poverty or prejudice.

Examples of ghetto in a Sentence

Noun

He grew up in the ghetto.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

One is that major knowledge gaps exist — for example, 45% of all adults cannot name a concentration camp or ghetto — but the other is a broad consensus that learning the history of the Holocaust is important. — Lily Rothman, Time, "Survey Reveals Gaps in Knowledge of Holocaust History—And That Most Americans Believe It Could Happen Again," 12 Apr. 2018 Born in Krakow, Poland as Gena Goldfinger on Feb. 1, 1923, Turgel had to move with her family in 1941 to a Jewish ghetto with only a sack of potatoes, some flour and a few belongings. — Danica Kirka, chicagotribune.com, "Gena Turgel, who cared for Anne Frank at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, has died," 9 June 2018 But for black people in public, the specter of the urban ghetto always lurks. — Elijah Anderson, Vox, "The sociology of living while black," 10 Aug. 2018 Not broke, which isn’t poor, and not bohemian poor, like a gentrifier living in the ghetto but able to afford nice clothes. — Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Glamour, "I'm an Immigrant. When I Spend Money on Makeup, I'm Paying to Feel Safe.," 17 Dec. 2018 Re-education ghettos are very bad for business and deadly for human rights. — WSJ, "The Info Companies Bow to Totalitarian Idol," 9 Jan. 2019 Some were survivors of Nazi camps and the ghettos in the East. — Emanuella Grinberg, Smithsonian, "When a Bavarian Monastery Provided a Home to Jewish Refugees," 11 July 2018 They were relocated to a cramped apartment, then to the Jewish ghetto in Krakow, then, in 1942, to the Plaszow concentration camp nearby. — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, "Gena Turgel, Holocaust Survivor With a Love Story, Dies at 95," 13 June 2018 Spielberg said swastikas were sometimes painted overnight. Recreating scenes like those in the Krakow ghetto and at Auschwitz were, Spielberg said, very difficult for most of those involved. — Washington Post, "In emotional reunion, Spielberg revisits ‘Schindler’s List’," 27 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ghetto.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.