favela
/fəˈvelə/ (bre, ipa) · /fəˈvelə/ (ame, ipa) · /fə-ˈve-lə/ (ame, mw)
favela — noun
- favelasingular
- favelasplural
1. a district in a Brazilian city where people live in small, roughly-built houses
a district in a Brazilian city where people live in small, roughly-built houses very close together, usually because they have very little money
João grew up in a favela near Rio de Janeiro before moving to the city center.
favela + near [city] — geographic location pattern
The favela on the hillside has no proper roads, only narrow dirt paths.
Many families in the favela built their own homes from wood and metal sheets.
Community leaders in the favela are working to bring running water to every street.
The film tells the story of three children who grow up in a São Paulo favela.
- slum
general term for any poor urban area; broader and not Brazil-specific
- shantytown
a settlement of roughly-built houses; favela is the Brazilian equivalent
用法筆記
This word refers specifically to the informal housing communities found in and around Brazilian cities. Unlike the more general terms "slum" or "shantytown", favela is not used for similar settlements in other countries.