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Glite Dictionary
barrio

barrio

24 7.9
A part of a city where many people speak Spanish or come from Latin America
  • noun
  • /ˈbɑːrioʊ/
  • US
translation icon : barrio
  • I went with a Red Cross health team to a small barrio on Guimaras Island.
  • barrio neighborhood
  • poor barrio
  • Mexican barrio

So are most of these barrios are they, is the entire neighborhood on the payroll?

Examples

  • We'll take the bus to a point as close to that barrio as we can.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • What is happening in the barrio, in the neighborhood.

  • "You think getting out of the barrio is the hard part?"

    Fiction book (1996)

  • "A family could live for a year in the barrio on that."

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Finding that barrio, after all these years, was going to be nearly impossible.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • - We're a community action group... improving conditions in the barrio.

    Walkout (2006)

  • When everyone is from the same barrio or neighborhood, no one is disillusioned.

    Academic text (1990)

  • So he's a young Mexican kid from the barrio.

    Goal! (2005)

  • Welcome to the barrio.

    Savages (2012)

  • The community center offers resources and support for families living in the barrio.

Synonyms

neighborhood
vsbarrio
  • US
∞ 1.8

An area in a town or city where people live near each other

is similar but focuses on areas with many Spanish speaking or Latin American residents
hood
vsbarrio
  • Slang
222 8.1

A local area where people know each other

is a neutral cultural term for areas with many Spanish speaking or Latin American residents
colonia
vsbarrio
2 7.9

A neighborhood in a city, often in Spanish-speaking countries

is used for urban areas specifically with many Spanish speaking or Latin American residents

Surface Forms

barrio singular
barrios plural

Etymology

Barrio comes from the Spanish word barrio, which meant 'neighborhood' and comes from the Arabic barrī, meaning 'of the land' or 'outside'. So a barrio was originally a part of town outside the center, and that's why today it means a local district often associated with Spanish-speaking communities.