Italian

[ ih-tal-yuhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Italy, its people, or their language.

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

/ 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

adjective

1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Italy, its inhabitants, or their language

Pronunciation Note

The pronunciation of Italian with an initial [ahy] sound (pronounced like the word eye ) and often with level stress on the first and second syllables: [ahy, -, tal, -y, uh, n] is heard primarily from uneducated speakers. This pronunciation is sometimes facetious or disparaging in purpose and is usually considered offensive.

Other Words From

• I·talian·esque adjective
• anti-I·talian adjective noun
• half-I·talian adjective
• non-I·talian adjective noun
• pro-I·talian adjective noun
• pseudo-I·talian adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Italian¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word Italiānus. See Italy, -an

Example Sentences

Cooper took over from Maresca in the summer after the Italian had led Leicester to the 2023-24 Championship title and promotion back into the Premier League.

From BBC

Sardinians fear this energy transition will transform their landscape and invade their territory, with the greatest benefits going to Italian and international corporate speculators.

From Salon

The Italian is preparing for a reunion with the 37-year-old forward and his former club at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

From BBC

"She actually sang Happy Birthday in Da Venezia, one of the Italian restaurants, but the people in the restaurant didn't recognise her."

From BBC

In the late 1990s, a group of Italian researchers started a project to investigate longevity in Sardinia.

From Science Magazine