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  • italic
    italic
    adjective
    designating or pertaining to a style of printing types in which the letters usually slope to the right, patterned upon a compact manuscript hand, and used for emphasis, to separate different kinds of information, etc..
  • Italic
    Italic
    noun
    a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes many of the ancient languages of Italy, such as Venetic and the Osco-Umbrian group, Latin, which displaced them, and the Romance languages
Synonyms

italic

American  
[ih-tal-ik, ahy-tal-] / ɪˈtæl ɪk, aɪˈtæl- /

adjective

  1. designating or pertaining to a style of printing types in which the letters usually slope to the right, patterned upon a compact manuscript hand, and used for emphasis, to separate different kinds of information, etc..

    These words are in italic type.

  2. (initial capital letter) of or relating to Italy, especially ancient Italy or its tribes.


noun

  1. Often italics. italic type.

  2. (initial capital letter) a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, including ancient Latin, Oscan, Umbrian, and modern Romance.

italic 1 British  
/ ɪˈtælɪk /

adjective

  1. Also: Italian.  of, relating to, or denoting a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

"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

noun

  1. a style of printing type modelled on this, chiefly used to indicate emphasis, a foreign word, etc Compare roman 1

  2. (often plural) italic type or print

"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
Italic 2 British  
/ ɪˈtælɪk /

noun

  1. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes many of the ancient languages of Italy, such as Venetic and the Osco-Umbrian group, Latin, which displaced them, and the Romance languages

"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

adjective

  1. denoting, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages, esp the extinct ones

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of italic

1555–65; < Latin Italicus < Greek Italikós, equivalent to Ital ( ía ) Italy + -ikos -ic

Explanation

Italic is a typeface or font style that slants to the right. Most writers use italic type to emphasize certain words or phrases. You can use the word italic as a noun or an adjective, usually in the form "italic type," or italics. Either way, it describes the kind of cursive-styled typeface that leans at an angle. Some writers use italic type to indicate a character's speech, or to emphasize words the character stresses. You can also use italic type for words in foreign languages or the titles of long works, like novels or films.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing italic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Severus and Julia were Romans, but neither was of Italic descent.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 22, 2018

The applique likely decorated an Etruscan chariot or funeral cart during the period when Greek and Italic aesthetics merged to create the Etruscan style.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2018

Italic reflected an early way to increase the efficiency of scribes by connecting the letters and lessening the number of times the writer had to lift pen from page.

From Washington Times • Aug. 5, 2017

The writer is chairman of the Italic Institute of America.

From Washington Post • Oct. 28, 2016

Aldus' famous Italic type, said to be an imitation of the handwriting of Petrarch, was introduced by Aldus Manutius of Venice for his projected small edition of the classics.

From The Century of Columbus by Walsh, James J.