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

The Italian has played for his country all the way up to under-21 level, but is yet to earn a senior cap.

From BBC

“Italian” tomato purees sold by several UK supermarkets appear to contain tomatoes grown and picked in China using forced labour, the BBC has found.

From BBC

The Italian international has played for his country all the way up to under 21 level, but is yet to be capped for the senior side.

From BBC

Two months later, a court in the Italian capital approved her extradition.

From BBC

Despite guiding them to La Liga and Champions League glory last season, the Italian has faced criticism from the media.

From BBC