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

She would tell me about where her family came from, the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and its complex history, rooted in years of Italian occupation and Art Deco infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The win gives the 24-year-old Italian his third Masters 1000 title of the year having already triumphed at Indian Wells and Miami, and extends his winning run in Masters series events to 22 matches.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

A hotly anticipated performance from Italian DJ Anyma was canceled, with organizers blaming strong winds that threatened the safety of stage structures.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The company’s future was very much in doubt when it found a savior in Enzo’s one-time protégé, Luca di Montezemolo, a blue-eyed Italian aristocrat with the steady hand to pull off a U-turn at Ferrari.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

In Perugia’s notebooks, the authorities found a list of potential buyers, and many weren’t Italian.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day