favela

/fɑˈvɛlə/

Other forms: favelas

In Brazil, a favela is an impoverished settlement outside a city. Most homes in favelas are made of salvaged materials like metal and cardboard.

The largest favelas are on the outskirts of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where they've existed since the 19th century. Originally settled by formerly enslaved Africans, soldiers, and migrants, these communities have continued to be home to many of the poorest Brazilians. The word favela, used to mean "slum," most likely comes from a story about soldiers who had lived underneath favela trees building Rio's first such makeshift settlement.

Definitions of favela

1. noun

   a shack, slum, or shantytown, especially in an urban area of Brazil