Italian

The word “Italian” means relating to Italy, its people, culture, or language. In plain terms, relating to Italy, or a person from Italy, or the Italian language.

“Italian” is pronounced ih-TAL-yuhn (/ɪˈtæl.jən/ in IPA).

Here is “Italian” used in a sentence: “They went to an Italian restaurant for her birthday.”

Words with a similar meaning to “Italian” include Italish.

Depending on how it is used, “Italian” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “Italian” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin Italianus, from Latin Italia ("Italy").

“Italian” is a very common word in modern English.

“Italian” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to Italy, its people, culture, or language.

As an adjective, Italian describes anything relating to Italy: its people, language, food, culture, or products. Italian cuisine, Italian design, and the Italian language are all examples. Used as a noun, Italian can also mean a person from Italy or the Italian language itself.

Yes. Like all adjectives formed from country names, Italian is always written with a capital I, whether it describes the language, the people, or anything else connected to Italy. The rule holds even in the middle of a sentence, as in an Italian restaurant or Italian marble.

Italian food, the Italian language, an Italian sports car, and Italian art all use the word to link something to Italy. It can indicate nationality, as in an Italian family; origin, as in Italian marble; or style, as in Italian tailoring or Italian design.

Italian relates to modern Italy and its people, language, and culture. Italic is broader: it can mean the ancient peoples and languages of the Italian peninsula, the Italic languages that include Latin, or, in typography, the slanted style of lettering used for emphasis.