Gypsy is a word used to indicate Roma people, a traditionally itinerant ethnic group that lives in Europe and has branches in the Americas, Asia and North Africa. The word Gypsy has negative connotations and many Roma people see it as a racial slur. In general, it’s best to use Roma people when referring to the ethnic group unless people self-identify as Gypsies, in which case the term should be capitalized. Avoid casual use such as “they lived like gypsies, traveling from place to place” and the pejorative term gyp, (e.g. “I got gypped,”) which is likely derived from Gypsy and a negative stereotype of Roma people as swindlers and thieves.
Updated February 2021
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