ghetto
ghetto — noun
1. a part of a town where a minority group lives separately from others, usually be
a part of a town where a minority group lives separately from others, usually because they are poor or face discrimination
Meera grew up in a ghetto where nearly every family shared the same ethnic background.
preposition: in a ghetto
Government housing policies in the 1960s pushed many minority communities into overcrowded urban ghettos.
passive: pushed into ghettos
The charity runs a health clinic just outside the city's largest ghetto.
Families trapped in the ghetto struggle to find work in other parts of the city.
- mixed neighborhood
an area where people of different backgrounds live together
- integrated community
a community with no racial or economic segregation
文法句型
ghetto + of + people
in a/the ghetto
用法筆記
This sense often appears in discussions about urban poverty, racial segregation, and social inequality. Some speakers consider the term sensitive because it carries strong associations with poverty and discrimination.
常見錯誤
2. a walled-off urban district where Jewish communities were compelled to reside, p
a walled-off urban district where Jewish communities were compelled to reside, particularly in Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War
Under Nazi rule, Jewish families were forced into a cramped ghetto with high stone walls.
collocation: forced into a ghetto
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Europe, holding over 400,000 people.
capitalization with proper name: Warsaw Ghetto
Food rations inside the ghetto gave each person less than 800 calories daily.
Secret schools and hidden libraries operated inside the ghetto despite strict rules.
- Jewish quarter
a less emotionally charged historical term for an area where Jews lived, without necessarily implying forced confinement
- enforced settlement
describes the compulsory nature of the segregation more neutrally
文法句型
the + (name) + Ghetto
forced into a/the ghetto
用法筆記
When referring to a specific historical ghetto, the name is typically capitalized (e.g., Warsaw Ghetto, Łódź Ghetto). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers specifically to state-enforced Jewish segregation in European history, whereas sense 1 describes modern segregated poor areas of any ethnic group.
常見錯誤
3. a circumstance in which a certain set of people is kept apart from the larger so
a circumstance in which a certain set of people is kept apart from the larger society or organization, often due to their background or social role
Without good schools, young people in the rural county felt trapped in an educational ghetto.
metaphorical use: educational ghetto
All-male managers created a professional ghetto for women by keeping them in assistant roles.
Retirement homes can sometimes become social ghettos where older residents rarely interact with younger generations.
Kabir said the art department was a creative ghetto cut off from the university.
- mainstream
the dominant group or culture from which the ghettoized group is separated
- integrated environment
a setting where diverse groups mix freely
文法句型
a + (adjective) + ghetto
ghetto + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is a metaphorical extension of the original meaning. It is typically used to criticize situations where people are unfairly separated from opportunities or resources available to the mainstream group. The modifier before 'ghetto' (academic, economic, professional, etc.) signals which domain the separation happens in.
ghetto — adjective
1. associated with a ghetto or describing the conditions, culture, and residents of
associated with a ghetto or describing the conditions, culture, and residents of such a poor, segregated urban area
The documentary shows everyday ghetto life in 1990s Los Angeles.
attributive: ghetto life
Hugo's photography captures the energy and struggle of growing up in a ghetto neighborhood.
attributive: ghetto neighborhood
The rapper's lyrics describe the pride and hardship that shape ghetto communities across the country.
Ghetto schools in the region receive far less funding than those in wealthy suburban districts.
- ghettoized
emphasizes the process of being forced into segregated conditions
- segregated
broader term that applies to any kind of separation, not just by area
- underprivileged
focuses on lack of advantages and resources rather than location
- affluent
describes wealthy areas, the opposite of ghetto poverty
- integrated
describes communities where different groups mix freely
文法句型
ghetto + noun
用法筆記
This adjective is always used before a noun (attributive). It is not used predicatively — you would not say 'This area is ghetto.' Using the adjective casually to mean 'cheap,' 'low quality,' or 'uncool' is widely considered offensive and should be avoided.
常見錯誤
ghetto — verb
1. to force a group of people to live in a separate area away from others, or to ma
to force a group of people to live in a separate area away from others, or to make an area poorer and more segregated so that it becomes a ghetto — most often used in the form 'ghettoize' (or 'ghettoise' in British English)
1950s highway projects effectively ghettoized poor communities by cutting through their neighborhoods.
active: ghettoized + community
The school system was accused of ghettoizing disabled students in separate classrooms.
accused of + ghettoizing
After the factory closed, the area became ghettoized as shops and jobs disappeared.
Soraya's research examines how real estate policies ghettoize ethnic minorities in European capital cities.
- segregate
broader meaning; can apply to any kind of separation, not just by area
- isolate
focuses on cutting off contact rather than confining to a specific area
- marginalize
emphasizes pushing a group to the edges of society, not necessarily into a specific area
- integrate
to bring different groups together into a unified community
- assimilate
to absorb a group into the mainstream culture or society
文法句型
ghettoize + someone
be ghettoized + into + place/role
ghettoized + noun
用法筆記
The verb is far more common in academic or formal writing than in everyday speech. It appears most frequently in the passive voice ('were ghettoized') or as a past participle adjective ('ghettoized communities'). The spelling 'ghettoise' is used in British English.