Italian

American  

[ih-tal-yuhn] / ɪˈtæl yən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Italy, its people, or their language.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Italy, or a person of Italian descent.

2. a Romance language, the language of Italy, official also in Switzerland. It, It., Ital.

Italian British  

/ ɪˈtæljən /

noun

1. the official language of Italy and one of the official languages of Switzerland: the native language of approximately 60 million people. It belongs to the Romance group of the Indo-European family, and there is a considerable diversity of dialects

2. a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Italy, or a descendant of one

3. See Italian vermouth

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adjective

1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Italy, its inhabitants, or their language

Pronunciation

The pronunciation of Italian with an initial sound (pronounced like the word eye ) and often with level stress on the first and second syllables: is heard primarily from uneducated speakers. This pronunciation is sometimes facetious or disparaging in purpose and is usually considered offensive.

Other Word Forms

• Italianesque adjective
• anti-Italian adjective
• half-Italian adjective
• non-Italian adjective
• pro-Italian adjective
• pseudo-Italian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Italian

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word Italiānus. See Italy, -an

Compare meaning

How does italian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Italian vs. English sonnet

Example Sentences

Cryptic, perhaps, but the beginning of the end for the Italian, as those in charge at Chelsea took a dim view of his public expression of discontent.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Christopher played Pirelli, the con-man barber with the fake Italian accent, and it was the first time that I can recall wishing that this flamboyant villain had a bigger part.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

According to the listing, the 22-foot-wide property marries “traditional English charm, modern Brooklyn sensibilities, and rich Italian influence.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The Italian group is unlikely to increase the bid price and any tender should be limited, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

When the news broke, it stopped an actual fistfight among legislators on the floor of the Italian Parliament.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day