shtetl

American  

[shtet-l, shtey-tl] / ˈʃtɛt l, ˈʃteɪ tl /

noun

Yiddish.

plural

shtetlach,

plural

shtetls

1. (formerly) a Jewish village or small-town community in eastern Europe.

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shtetl British  

/ ˈʃtetəl /

noun

1. (formerly) a small Jewish community in Eastern Europe

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Etymology

Origin of shtetl

Yiddish, little town

Example Sentences

But a time jump, moving from a shtetl during World War I to 1930s Warsaw, pushes the film into more unexpected territory, as it encompasses issues of immigration, adoption and assimilation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

It’s 1905, and Anatevka isn’t the shtetl that it once was.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025

Not long after Jewish author Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" had launched second-wave feminism, Harnick introduced the shtetl of Anatevka and its quaint ways through a song about unequal gender roles.

From Salon • Jul. 8, 2023

Topol, the Israeli actor best known for playing Tevye, the soulful shtetl milkman at the center of “Fiddler on the Roof,” a role he performed thousands of times on stage and screen, has died.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2023

She had no idea what a shtetl was but felt stupid admitting that to him.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack