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

It is also accused of transferring its Italian assets into foreign ownership solely for tax purposes, according to Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

Read more on BBC

“Maybe I’m a little bit”—he speaks in an Italian accent and searches for the right English phrasing—“not so American.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Spanish, Italian, French, German and eurozone final manufacturing purchasing managers indexes for October are up for release on Monday, followed by services PMIs on Wednesday.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There’s Chicago’s Durpetti family, who’ve been serving Italian and steakhouse classics and employ a valet who might even offer you cigarettes from his own stash.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Growing up, chef and restaurateur Michael Rafidi was often asked if he was Italian.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal