Italian

[ ih-tal-yuhn ]

/ ɪˈtæl yən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for Italian on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

noun

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

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

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Italian

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

how to pronounce Italian

The pronunciation of Italian with an initial

[ahy] /aɪ/ sound (pronounced like the word eye ) and often with level stress on the first and second syllables:

[ahy-tal-yuhn] /ˈaɪˈtæl yən/ is heard primarily from uneducated speakers. This pronunciation is sometimes facetious or disparaging in purpose and is usually considered offensive.

OTHER WORDS FROM Italian

I·tal·ian·esque, adjectivean·ti-I·tal·ian, adjective, nounhalf-I·tal·ian, adjectivenon-I·tal·ian, adjective, noun

pro-I·tal·ian, adjective, nounpseu·do-I·tal·ian, adjective, noun

Words nearby Italian

It ain't a fit night out for man or beast, Itajaí, ital., Italia, Italia irredenta, Italian, Italian aster, Italianate, Italian bread, Italian clover, Italian corn salad

How to use Italian in a sentence

The Italian foreign ministry has declined to comment on the video.
Jihadis Release New Year’s Eve Video of Italian Female Hostages|Jamie Dettmer, Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Italian navy tweeted regular updates of the saved-to-stranded passenger ratio.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I learned that he was working and living in the Lower East Side, delivering orders for an Italian restaurant and raising two kids.
Cuban Hip-Hop Was Born in Alamar|Daniel Levin|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bookstore was opened as a way of presenting Italian books and culture to Manhattanites.
The Bookstore That Bewitched Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Greta Garbo|Felice Picano|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Because the shop was emblematic of that peculiar Italian institution known as La Faccia: i.e. presenting the best face possible.
The Bookstore That Bewitched Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Greta Garbo|Felice Picano|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The streets here are rather wide for an Italian city but would be deemed intolerably narrow in America.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
All the Italian merchants in the realm of France, called money lenders, seized by order of Philip the fair, for their ransoms.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
To talk German was beyond the sweep of my dizziest ambition, but an Italian runner or porter instantly presented himself.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
And it is too true that ages of subjugation have demoralized, to a fearful extent, the Italian People.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
The Cardinal then hinted, that Wharton had vanished on some occult mission, to circumvent the Italian investiture.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for Italian

Italian

/ (ɪˈtæljən) /

noun

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

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

See Italian vermouth

adjective

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

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