panini

noun

pa·​ni·​ni pə-ˈnē-nē 

variants or less commonly panino

pə-ˈnē-nō 

plural panini or paninis

: a usually grilled sandwich made with Italian bread

Note: Panini is a plural form in Italian but is commonly used as both a singular and a plural in English. Its use as a singular has given rise the variant plural form paninis. The use of panino as a singular form in English has become relatively uncommon as panini has become established as the usual singular.

On each visit, someone at our table invariably orders a panini …

—Jodi Wright

At the back of the shop are paninis, freshly brewed coffee and two tubs of homemade soups.

—M. H. Reed

Examples of panini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Milan, a city whose residents are always on the move, embraced the idea of eating a sandwich on the go, and De Santis’s panini worked their way into the hearts of locals. — Emma Bocchi, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026

Soups, salads and panini sandwiches are also available, as are shareable snacks like roasted mushroom fondue, smoked salmon and seasonal burrata. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026

Parents will enjoy munching gelati and panini by the pool as much as their kids do. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Lynn Horton ordered a caprese panini, pressed to be extra crunchy, with extra pesto, her husband enjoyed an eggplant caprese. — Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of pane bread, from Latin panis — more at food

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for panini

• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• allottee
• amphorae
• amputee
• apc
• apogee
• appointee
• assessee
• assignee