1
: having letters, numbers, etc., that slant upward to the right
These words are italic.
italic type
—abbr. ital
2
: of or relating to ancient Italy, the people who lived there, or the languages spoken there
Italic languages/dialects
plural italics
: letters, numbers, etc., that slant upward to the right : italic type
These words are printed in italic.
The type should be set in italics.
These words are printed in italics.
—abbr. ital
Cite this Entry
“Italic.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/italic. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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