Italian

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ɪˈtæljən/ 🇺🇸 /ˌɪˈtæljən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A native or inhabitant of Italy, or a person of Italian descent.; The Romance language spoken in Italy and parts of Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City.
  2. adjective
    Of or relating to Italy, its people, language, or culture.; Of or relating to the Italian language.
  3. noun
    A style of handwriting characterized by a slight slant to the right, also known as italic.; A type of sausage seasoned with fennel and other spices, commonly used in Italian-American cuisine.; A style of garden design characterized by symmetry, terraces, and ornamental features, popular in the Renaissance.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable / uncountable Plural: Italians

Collocations

Italian cuisineItalian foodItalian languageItalian restaurantItalian cultureItalian dressing

Derivatives

ItalianateItalianizeItalianization

Commonly confused

Italic
EN: 'Italic' refers to a slanted typeface style or ancient Italic peoples of pre-Roman Italy; 'Italian' refers to modern Italy, its people, language, and culture.

Spelling tips

EN: Always capitalize 'Italian' as it is a proper adjective/noun derived from a proper noun (Italy). Do not write 'italian' in formal contexts.

💬 Examples

  1. She is an Italian who moved to New York in her twenties.

  2. He is learning Italian so he can communicate with his grandmother.

  3. We enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal at the new restaurant downtown.

  4. The Italian word for 'love' is 'amore'.

  5. The calligrapher practiced Italian script for hours each day.

  6. He grilled Italian sausages for the backyard barbecue.

  7. The estate featured a beautiful Italian garden with fountains and topiaries.