italics

Cultural  

1. Slanted letters that look like this: We the people. Italics are most often used to emphasize certain words, to indicate that they are in a foreign language, or to set off the title of a literary or artistic work.

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Example Sentences

His midround chats with Jennings have revealed a self-deprecating wit and interests so quirky they’re cool—chasing eclipses, writing in italics, driving around with his trivia friends looking for a rare goose.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of House Republican leadership, is presenting herself in italics.

From Slate • May 30, 2024

As I was writing this story, I kept a quote in italics at the top of my Word doc.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 16, 2023

But something even more powerful was at work as I read, something harder to make sense of, let alone characterize: At the time I thought of it — always in italics — as the sound.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2023

In conversation, we can stress the phrase we wish to deny, and in writing we can use italics to do the same thing.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker