noun
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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
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a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Italy, or a descendant of one
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See Italian vermouth
adjective
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
Derived Forms
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:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He remained frozen in the ice until two German hikers stumbled across his mummified remains in 1991 in the northern Italian region of South Tyrol.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Brazilian teenager Leo Veiga had almost given up on his dream of becoming a professional footballer when artificial intelligence helped him secure a spot in the youth ranks of an Italian club.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Italian media said a fifth man from Afghanistan had survived the attack.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Toss a can of drained beans with olive oil, a few strips of lemon peel and an Italian dressing packet, then let everything mingle for half an hour or so.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
