subito

[ soo-bi-toh; Italian soo-bee-taw ]
See synonyms for subito on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. (as a musical direction) suddenly; abruptly: subito pianissimo.

Origin of subito

1
First recorded in 1715–25; from Italian, from Latin subitō originally, ablative singular neuter of subitus “sudden,” equivalent to sub- sub- + -i- (base of īre “to go”) + -tus past participle suffix

Words Nearby subito

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use subito in a sentence

  • Two written lines were in part legible: "Giorne che venite—subito l'urgenza."

    The Barrel Mystery | William J. (William James) Flynn

British Dictionary definitions for subito

subito

/ (ˈsuːbɪˌtəʊ) /


adverb
  1. music (preceding or following a dynamic marking, etc) suddenly; immediately: Abbreviation: sub

Origin of subito

1
C18: via Italian from Latin: suddenly, from subitus sudden, from subīre to approach, from sub- (indicating stealth) + īre to go

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012