Italy

American  

[it-l-ee] / ˈɪt l i /

noun

1. a republic in southern Europe, comprising a peninsula south of the Alps, and Sicily, Sardinia, Elba, and other smaller islands: a kingdom 1870–1946. 116,294 sq. mi. (301,200 sq. km). Rome.

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Italy British  

/ ˈɪtəlɪ /

noun

1. Italian name: Italia. a republic in S Europe, occupying a peninsula in the Mediterranean between the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic Seas, with the islands of Sardinia and Sicily to the west: first united under the Romans but became fragmented into numerous political units in the Middle Ages; united kingdom proclaimed in 1861; under the dictatorship of Mussolini (1922–43); became a republic in 1946; a member of the European Union. It is generally mountainous, with the Alps in the north and the Apennines running the length of the peninsula. Official language: Italian. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Rome. Pop: 61 482 297 (2013 est) Area: 301 247 sq km (116 312 sq miles)

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Italy Cultural  

1. Republic in southern Europe, jutting into the Mediterranean Sea as a boot-shaped peninsula, surrounded on the east, south, and west by arms of the Mediterranean, and bordered to the northwest by France, to the north by Switzerland and Austria, and to the northeast by Yugoslavia. The country includes the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia, as well as many smaller islands, such as Capri. Its capital and largest city is Rome.

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Discover More

Italian cooking, featuring pasta, has become a staple of the American diet.

Italy was the core of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire from the fourth century b.c. to the fifth century a.d.

Beginning in the fourteenth century, the Italian Renaissance brought Europe out of the Middle Ages with its outstanding contributions to the arts. To this day, Italy continues to be associated with great artistic achievement and is home to countless masterpieces.

Under the fascist leadership of Benito Mussolini (see fascism), Italy began colonization in Africa and entered a military alliance with Germany and Japan. These countries were known as the Axis powers in World War II.

Italy has been a member of NATO since 1949.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Italy

Researchers from the Berkeley Geochronology Center, UC Berkeley and the University of Padua in Italy now report in Science Advances that this historical benchmark has helped them significantly improve the precision of argon-argon dating.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

Imola in Italy is preparing to host a race on the weekend of Abu Dhabi.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

In 1964, Paul VI inaugurated the traveling papacy when he became the first pontiff to leave Italy since Pius VII was carted off to France at gunpoint by Napoleon Bonaparte’s soldiers in 1809.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Stocks in Italy, the world's leading wine-producing country, were up 6.9 percent year-on-year in July, according to official data.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Maggie was twenty-two and talked of wedding dresses and honey-mooning in Italy.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock