Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
Italian [ih-tal-yuh n] ExamplesWord Origin adjective
- of or relating to Italy, its people, or their language.
noun
- a native or inhabitant of Italy, or a person of Italian descent.
- a Romance language, the language of Italy, official also in Switzerland. Abbreviation: It, It., Ital.
Origin of Italian First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word Italiānus. See Italy, -an Related formsI·tal·ian·esque, adjectivean·ti-I·tal·ian, adjective, nounhalf-I·tal·ian, adjectivenon-I·tal·ian, adjective, nounpro-I·tal·ian, adjective, nounpseu·do-I·tal·ian, adjective, nounPronunciation note The pronunciation of Italian with an initial [ahy] /aɪ/ sound (pronounced like the word eye ) and often with level stress on the first and second syllables: [ahy-tal-yuh n] /ˈaɪˈtæl yən/ is heard primarily from uneducated speakers. This pronunciation is sometimes facetious or disparaging in purpose and is usually considered offensive. Related Words for italian insular, Catalan, Continental, French, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Provencal, Spanish Examples from the Web for italian Contemporary Examples of italian
The Italian foreign ministry has declined to comment on the video.
Jihadis Release New Year’s Eve Video of Italian Female Hostages
Jamie Dettmer, Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 2, 2015
The Italian navy tweeted regular updates of the saved-to-stranded passenger ratio.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 29, 2014
I learned that he was working and living in the Lower East Side, delivering orders for an Italian restaurant and raising two kids.
Cuban Hip-Hop Was Born in Alamar
Daniel Levin
December 26, 2014
The bookstore was opened as a way of presenting Italian books and culture to Manhattanites.
The Bookstore That Bewitched Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Greta Garbo
Felice Picano
December 16, 2014
Because the shop was emblematic of that peculiar Italian institution known as La Faccia: i.e. presenting the best face possible.
The Bookstore That Bewitched Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Greta Garbo
Felice Picano
December 16, 2014
Historical Examples of italian
He was received with joy for the service he had rendered to the Italian people.
Richard B. Cook
Yet we have just seen that the Greeks of old were too self-contained for their Italian brethren.
The Dramatic Values in Plautus
Wilton Wallace Blancke
In any case, it was evident that Italian opera was a precarious enterprise.
Edward J. Dent
Rico could soon speak Italian as if he had always spoken it.
Johanna Spyri
The Corsicans speak Italian, and this would never do for a French schoolboy.
Eugenie Foa
British Dictionary definitions for italian Italian noun
- 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
- a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Italy, or a descendant of one
- See Italian vermouth
adjective
- relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Italy, its inhabitants, or their language
Word Origin and History for italian Italian n.
early 15c., “native of Italy,” from Italian Italiano, from Italia “Italy” (see Italy). As an adjective from 1640s.