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

All My Children, premiered their four-part docuseries Running With the Wolves in July, with the ESPN show chronicling their domestic life as well as their co-ownership of the Italian Campobasso soccer team. —EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Located on the southeastern coast of Sicily, Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian) is often overlooked by travelers in favor of Taormina, its opulent cousin to the north. —Michele Becker, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2025

Adjective

Two years ago, Webuild appointed Gianni De Gennaro, a former head of the Italian police and undersecretary of state for intelligence and security services, as president of Eurolink. —CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025

The Italian government, under new legislation, would tighten controls on the supply of gender transition medical treatment for minors, according to a draft law. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 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