italic

American  

[ih-tal-ik, ahy-tal-] / ɪˈtæl ɪk, aɪˈtæl- /

adjective

1. designating or pertaining to a style of printing types in which the letters usually slope to the right, patterned upon a compact manuscript hand, and used for emphasis, to separate different kinds of information, etc..

   These words are in italic type.

2. (initial capital letter) of or relating to Italy, especially ancient Italy or its tribes.

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noun

1. Often italics. italic type.

2. (initial capital letter) a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, including ancient Latin, Oscan, Umbrian, and modern Romance.

italic ¹ British  

/ ɪˈtælɪk /

adjective

1. Also: Italian.  of, relating to, or denoting a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

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noun

1. a style of printing type modelled on this, chiefly used to indicate emphasis, a foreign word, etc Compare roman 1

2. (often plural) italic type or print

Italic ² British  

/ ɪˈtælɪk /

noun

1. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes many of the ancient languages of Italy, such as Venetic and the Osco-Umbrian group, Latin, which displaced them, and the Romance languages

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adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages, esp the extinct ones

Other Word Forms

• non-Italic adjective

Etymology

Origin of italic

1555–65; < Latin Italicus < Greek Italikós, equivalent to Ital ( ía ) Italy + -ikos -ic

Explanation

Italic is a typeface or font style that slants to the right. Most writers use italic type to emphasize certain words or phrases. You can use the word italic as a noun or an adjective, usually in the form "italic type," or italics. Either way, it describes the kind of cursive-styled typeface that leans at an angle. Some writers use italic type to indicate a character's speech, or to emphasize words the character stresses. You can also use italic type for words in foreign languages or the titles of long works, like novels or films.

Example Sentences

She goes against his precepts and disobeys his orders — they appear as onscreen italic titles — and he gets stroppy, as a father would.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2025

Other features fit with what we know of Milton's neat italic hand, which rarely featured joined letters.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

It’s period correct and I applaud the resistance to set it in italic.

From Washington Post • Feb. 5, 2020

Looking further, I found gold nameplate necklaces that spell “Anxiety” and “Depression” in a trendy bold italic font, available at ban.do for $48.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2018

All abridging remarks and other comments will be in this fancy italic type so you’ll know.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Related Words

• font