Meaning & use
ghetto
A part of a city where a minority group or poor people live, often segregated by social or economic pressure.
See it in a sentence
Many immigrant families first settled in the crowded ghetto near the docks.
The historian described how the ghetto's residents built tight community networks despite hardship.
A note on using this word
Some use the word informally as an adjective meaning cheap or low-quality; this usage can be seen as disrespectful and is best avoided in formal writing.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Informal: crude, cheap, or low in quality; also used to describe behavior seen as unrefined.
He joked that his duct-taped bumper looked pretty ghetto after the accident.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ghetto”, then compare your use with the examples above.