What does "barrio" mean?
A municipality or subdivision of a municipality in Spanish America, and in Spain itself.
Barrio
name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A municipality or subdivision of a municipality in Spanish America, and in Spain itself.
- Grammar: barrio is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: black ghetto, blighted area, bowery, business district.
- Useful contrasts: affluent neighborhood, countryside, developed suburb.
- Usage evidence: New York City's premiere Latino art museum, El Museo del Barrio, is now host to a world-touring exhibition of 20th Century Mexican Art.
How to use "barrio"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "barrio" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "barrio" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "barrio" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "barrio" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "barrio" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "black ghetto" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "barrio", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A municipality or subdivision of a municipality in Spanish America, and in Spain itself.
- 2 an urban area in a Spanish-speaking country wordnet
- 3 A slum on the periphery of a major city, or a low to middle-class neighborhood in a lesser city, in Venezuela or the Dominican Republic.
- 4 a Spanish-speaking quarter in a town or city (especially in the United States) wordnet
- 5 A rural barangay or neighborhood. Philippines
"In the barrio, they talked excitedly about the wood-gatherer's discovery. There was so much pushing and quibbling over details that by the time the barrio had organized itself to set out for Salug to investigate, dusk had already fallen."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 An area or neighborhood in a US city inhabited predominantly by Spanish-speakers or people of Hispanic origin. US, informal
"After World War II, its prospering working-class white residents moved to other, more upscale suburban developments, and by the 1950s the area had become an isolated ethnic enclave with its own barrio gang."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Spanish.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"New York City's premiere Latino art museum, El Museo del Barrio, is now host to a world-touring exhibition of 20th Century Mexican Art."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "barrio"?
Common synonyms include: black ghetto, blighted area, bowery, business district, central city, chinatown.
How do you use "barrio" in a sentence?
New York City's premiere Latino art museum, El Museo del Barrio, is now host to a world-touring exhibition of 20th Century Mexican Art.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Spanish barrio, from Arabic بَرِّيّ (barriyy, “wild”).
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Spanish Barrio.