graffito

noun graf·fi·to \ grə-ˈfē-(ˌ)tō , gra- , grä- \

Definition of graffito

plural graffiti play \grə-ˈfē-(ˌ)tē, gra-, grä-\

: an inscription or drawing made on some public surface (such as a rock or wall); also : a message or slogan written as or as if as a graffito

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graffitist

play \grə-ˈfē-tist, gra-, grä-\ noun

See graffito defined for kids

Recent Examples of graffito from the Web

Police are asking the public for help to find the man captured on video surveillance footage suspected of spray painting graffiti at 13 businesses downtown.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "West Allis police report: Woman helps police catch burglar in car she was riding in," 24 Oct. 2017
Graffiti's haters Despite its presence in museums, graffiti has opponents.

— will higgins, Indianapolis Star, "Graffiti at the IMA: Spray paint's debut at fancy museum," 5 Oct. 2017
Drive through the city and see visions of the past, present and possible future in murals and graffiti tags.

— christina tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Off the walls: A look at some of Baltimore's best street art," 31 Aug. 2017
The most popular refrain, on official billboards and graffiti scrawled across concrete walls, celebrated the country’s nascent democracy with the hashtag #GambiaHasDecided.

— jon rosen, Slate Magazine, "Exit the Strongman," 7 Aug. 2017
The stunning portrait of a young girl is the work of Brandan Odums, New Orleans most renowned street artist, who produced the mind-blowing collaborative graffiti project ExhibitBE in 2014.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "How to spend 24 hours in New Orleans: graffiti, hipster havens, Bourbon Street," 19 Oct. 2017
Here's what is a hate crime in Indiana and what isn't On Monday morning, the Patnaiks arrived at work to find the front of their northwest-side business, Signs By Tomorrow, covered in anti-Hindu graffiti and grease markings.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "Indian business owners targeted by hateful graffiti standing strong after attack," 22 Sep. 2017
Fans have noted that not only is Taylor’s birth year written in graffiti here, 1991 refers to the birth year of none other than her boyf Joe.

— peggy truong, Cosmopolitan, "15 Hidden Messages You Might Have Missed in Taylor Swift’s “…Ready For It?” Music Video," 27 Oct. 2017
But graffiti's biggest hater ever in New York was probably Mayor Ed Koch (1977-89).

— will higgins, Indianapolis Star, "Graffiti at the IMA: Spray paint's debut at fancy museum," 5 Oct. 2017

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

graffito Is the Singular Form of Graffiti

Any casual writing or design marked on a wall is a graffito. Graffiti (the plural of graffito) have been made throughout history; they are found in abundance on the monuments of ancient Egypt. Technically the term applies to a design scratched through a layer of paint or plaster, but its meaning is extended to other markings. Graffiti produced with spray paint became notorious in New York City in the 1970s and have appeared in cities all over the US and Europe. The 20th-century preoccupation with manifestations of the subconscious stimulated this form of expression and produced a vogue for “graffiti art.” Graffiti are sometimes considered a form of folk art.