Graffiti

The term graffiti referred to the inscriptions and figure drawings found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Use of the word has evolved to include any graphics applied to surfaces in a manner that constitutes vandalism.

Graffiti are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted illicitly on a wall or other surface, often within public view. Graffiti range from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and they have existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.

Both "graffiti" and its occasional singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched").