Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
italic [ih-tal-ik, ahy-tal-] ExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for italic on Thesaurus.com adjective
- designating or pertaining to a style of printing types in which the letters usually slope to the right, patterned upon a compact manuscript hand, and used for emphasis, to separate different kinds of information, etc.: These words are in italic type.
- (initial capital letter) of or relating to Italy, especially ancient Italy or its tribes.
noun
- Often italics. italic type.
- (initial capital letter) a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, including ancient Latin, Oscan, Umbrian, and modern Romance.
Origin of italic 1555–65; Latin Italicus Greek Italikós, equivalent to Ital(ía) Italy + -ikos -ic Related formsnon-I·tal·ic, adjective, noun Related Words for italic font, case, boldface, roman, italic, agate, pica Examples from the Web for italic Historical Examples of italic
Where a word has to be changed to Italic, draw a line under it, and write Ital.
Paul Allardyce
The italic form of parenthesis is objectionable in book work.
Frederick W. Hamilton
Distinction is sought for the word in italic and not for the parenthesis enclosing the word.
Frederick W. Hamilton
The italic was also noticeable for its beauty and regularity.
A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898
Henry R. Plomer
A primer of information about the history and uses of italic letters.
Frederick W. Hamilton
British Dictionary definitions for italic italic adjective
- Also: Italian of, relating to, or denoting a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
noun
- a style of printing type modelled on this, chiefly used to indicate emphasis, a foreign word, etcCompare roman 1
- (often plural) italic type or print
Word Origin for italic C16 (after an edition of Virgil (1501) printed in Venice and dedicated to Italy): from Latin Italicus of Italy, from Greek Italikos Italic noun
- a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes many of the ancient languages of Italy, such as Venetic and the Osco-Umbrian group, Latin, which displaced them, and the Romance languages
adjective
- denoting, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages, esp the extinct ones
Word Origin and History for italic
1610s (adj.), 1670s (n.) “italic type,” from Latin italicus “Italian” (see Italian); so called because it was introduced in 1501 by Aldus Manutius, printer of Venice (who also gave his name to Aldine), and first used in an edition of Virgil dedicated to Italy. Earlier (1570s) the word was used for the plain, sloping style of handwriting, as opposed to Gothic. Related: Italics.