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🇫🇷French Source WordCode: FR

bidonville

Pronunciation / Transliteration: bidonville

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Favela/fəˈvɛlə/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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🇫🇷 Example Sentence in French:

"De nombreux habitants luttent pour améliorer leurs conditions de vie dans le bidonville."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A densely populated, usually impoverished squatter settlement or slum, typically situated on the outskirts or hills of a Brazilian city.

    "Many tourists take guided walking tours to learn about the vibrant culture and community initiatives within Rio de Janeiro's largest favela."
  2. 2

    Any type of shantytown or informal urban settlement characterized by substandard housing and a lack of formal infrastructure.

    "Rapid urbanization has led to the emergence of favelas surrounding several major metropolitan areas across South America."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from Brazilian Portuguese, the term originates from the name of a hill (Morro da Favela) in Rio de Janeiro, which was named after favela, a rough-leaved plant of the spurge family found there. The hill was settled by impoverished soldiers and freed slaves in the late 19th century, transferring the plant's name to the informal settlement itself and subsequently entering English global usage in the 20th century.

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