ghetto

noun GEH-toh Rare

Origin: Italian 'ghetto' (Venetian Jewish quarter, 16th c.)

Usage Note

Ghetto entered French directly from Italian and is masculine. It can refer both to a historic Jewish quarter and, colloquially, to any socially marginalized urban area. The adjective ghetto is also used informally as an invariable adjective meaning 'rough, run-down'.

Examples

"Il a grandi dans un ghetto difficile."

Natural Translation

He grew up in a tough ghetto.

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