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

The La Liga outfit have used a low block more times than anyone else - 458 times in 14 games - and 23-year-old Italian Ruggeri has played a key role in helping Atletico preserve leads.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Leo’s speech to Italian military chaplains last month suggested he isn’t a pacifist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her "full solidarity and sincere sympathy" to Trump and the others present at the event.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

Mirko Ricci, the man behind the London record attempt, originally held the record in 2017 in Italy, but another Italian team broke that in 2019.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

Later in the Depression, an Italian American woman who had lost all her money came to work for them.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield