Italian

[ih-tal-yuhn]

adjective

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

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

/ 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

adjective

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

Pronunciation Note

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Italian¹

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

Example Sentences

In his toy-filled suite with sprawling views of the commercial neighborhood near LAX, Italian toy maker Matteo Sarnari prepared for the coming fall onslaught of professional buyers he hopes will buy his wares in bulk.

From Los Angeles Times

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Polish airspace was violated 19 times and at least three drones were shot down by Warsaw's jets, aided by Dutch F-35s and an Italian early warning aircraft.

From BBC

Red Bull's Max Verstappen converted pole to a race win at the Italian Grand Prix.

From BBC

After beating Jannik Sinner to the US Open title, Alcaraz joked he is spending too much time with his Italian rival.

From BBC

Italian striker Macheda is probably the player on this list who made the biggest impact, scoring a stunning winning goal on his debut for Manchester United against Aston Villa.

From BBC