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

But the Blues' gritty fightback was essential for Maresca after a turbulent week that raised questions about the Italian's long-term future with the club.

From Barron's

Bologna reached the Italian Super Cup final on Friday after beating Inter Milan 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Riyadh.

From Barron's

The Trevi levy is part of a new tariff system for certain museums and monuments in the Italian capital.

From BBC

However, he said Thursday that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had asked him for "patience" and indicated Rome would eventually be ready to sign.

From Barron's

This is not the first time Italian authorities have introduced tariffs for monuments.

From Barron's