Phrase guide

red-light district

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A part of an urban area where prostitution and sex-oriented businesses are concentrated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a district with many brothels

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: city district

History

Etymology

From red, light and district. Referring to the red lights that were used as signs for brothels.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 紅燈區 /红灯区 (hóngdēngqū) — area of prostitution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 風月區 /风月区 (fēngyuèqū) — area of prostitution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 風化區 /风化区 (fēnghuàqū) — area of prostitution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 煙花巷 /烟花巷 (yānhuāxiàng) — area of prostitution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 花街柳巷 (huājiē liǔxiàng) — area of prostitution
  • Dutch: rosse buurt — area of prostitution
  • Dutch: rodelampjesbuurt — area of prostitution
  • Dutch: hoerenbuurt — area of prostitution
  • Dutch: tippelzone — area of prostitution
  • Esperanto: ruĝluma areo — area of prostitution
  • Estonian: punaste laternate kvartal — area of prostitution
  • Finnish: punaisten lyhtyjen alue — area of prostitution
  • French: quartier chaud — area of prostitution
  • French: red light — area of prostitution
  • French: quartier des putes — area of prostitution
  • German: Rotlichtbezirk — area of prostitution
  • German: Straßenstrich — area of prostitution
  • German: Rotlichtviertel — area of prostitution
  • Greek: συνοικία με οίκους ανοχής (synoikía me oíkous anochís) — area of prostitution
  • Hungarian: vörös lámpás negyed — area of prostitution
  • Hungarian: piros lámpás negyed — area of prostitution
  • Icelandic: vændishúshverfi — area of prostitution
  • Indonesian: lokalisasi — area of prostitution
  • Italian: quartiere a luci rossi — area of prostitution
  • Japanese: 歓楽街 (kanrakugai) — area of prostitution
  • Japanese: 風俗街 (fūzokugai) — area of prostitution
  • Japanese: 遊郭 (yūkaku) — area of prostitution
  • Korean: 홍등가 (hongdeungga) — area of prostitution
  • Korean: 공창가 (gongchangga) — area of prostitution
  • Macedonian: резил сокак (rezil sokak) — area of prostitution
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bordellkvarter — area of prostitution
  • Polish: dzielnica czerwonych latarni — area of prostitution
  • Portuguese: zona de meretrício — area of prostitution
  • Russian: у́лица кра́сных фонаре́й (úlica krásnyx fonaréj) — area of prostitution
  • Russian: кварта́л кра́сных фонаре́й (kvartál krásnyx fonaréj) — area of prostitution
  • Scottish Gaelic: ceàrn dearg — area of prostitution
  • Spanish: zona roja — area of prostitution
  • Swedish: bordellkvarter — area of prostitution
  • Ukrainian: кварта́л черво́них ліхтарі́в (kvartál červónyx lixtarív) — area of prostitution
  • Vietnamese: phố đèn đỏ — area of prostitution
  • Welsh: ardal golau coch — area of prostitution