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

According to the Italian news outlet La Repubblica, the thieves were interrupted by the museum’s security system and abandoned an attempt to grab a fourth artwork.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

"It's clear that Italian football needs to be rebuilt from the ground up and that starts with changes at the top of the FIGC," Abodi said in a statement.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was stolen in 1911 by an Italian employee of the Louvre who wanted to repatriate the masterpiece.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Last night's defeat drew swift and emotional reactions across Italian politics and society.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

He kept a close eye on his handpicked SIS unit as they fought to crack German, Italian, and Japanese systems, but for the most part he let them get on with the job by themselves.

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