Italian

1 of 2

noun

Ital·​ian ə-ˈtal-yən 

i-,

also

ˌī- 

1

a

: a native or inhabitant of Italy

b

: a person of Italian descent

2

: the Romance language of the Italians

Italian

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Italy, the Italians, or Italian

Examples of Italian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The project from the Artificial and Mechanical Intelligence group at the Italian Institute of Technology (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) has taken a child-like biped designed for AI research – the iCub – and aims to get it off the ground using jet power. —Paul Ridden june 24, New Atlas, 24 June 2025

After being tapped by Mario Batali to work as a chef for Italian Wine Merchants, the TV star recognized Burrell's potential and appointed her his sous chef on Iron Chef America in 2005. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 23 June 2025

Adjective

Expect traditional Italian fare from fresh seafood to risotto with a twist depending on what the chef finds fresh daily. —Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

A couple Kardashian weddings have taken place in Italy, drawing famously on the Riviera and religious-inspired aesthetics of the country, and celebrity vacation hot spot Lake Como has also drawn several famous nuptials, the vast blue body contrasting romantically with old Italian villas. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Italian

• anti-Italian
• Italian American
• Italian dressing
• Italian greyhound
• Italian parsley
• Italian sandwich
• Italian sonnet
• Upper Italian

Rhymes for Italian

• battalion
• medallion
• scallion
• stallion

Kids Definition

Italian

noun

Ital·​ian

ə-ˈtal-yən,

i-

1

a

: a person born or living in Italy

b

: a person of Italian ancestry

2

: the Romance language of the Italians

Italian adjective