noun
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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
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a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Italy, or a descendant of one
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See Italian vermouth
adjective
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:
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.
European insurers are largely insulated from the jitters in the private-credit market that are prompting scrutiny in the U.S., a top executive at Italian insurer Assicurazioni Generali said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
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
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
She used to do the accounting for an Italian bakery and is thinking about going back to that, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
On the painting’s last night there—possibly the last night it will ever spend on Italian soil—the exhibition stayed open until midnight.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.