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Definition of italic

italic

/ɪˈtæl.ɪk/
i · tal · ic
Plural:italics
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italic Lexical Profile

italic Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Designating or printed in a typeface in which the letters slope upward to the right, used especially for emphasis, book titles, or foreign words.

Example

"Please set the titles of all full-length novels in italic type throughout the bibliography."

2

Relating to ancient Italy, its peoples, or the branch of the Indo-European language family that includes Latin, Oscan, and Umbrian (usually capitalized).

Example

"Linguists analyzed the inscriptions to better understand how early Italic dialects diverged from one another."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• noun

1

An italic typeface or a letter printed in this style (usually used in the plural).

Example

"Scientific binomial names for species should always be written in italics."

2

A branch of the Indo-European language family spoken in ancient Italy, comprising Latin and its modern Romance descendants as well as extinct languages such as Oscan and Umbrian (capitalized).

Example

"Latin is the best-documented member of Italic, eventually giving rise to all modern Romance languages."

Antonyms
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• Rhymes for italic

• Nearby Words

itajai
itajai river
itajaí
italic
italicization
italicize
italy

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin Italicus ('of Italy'), from Ancient Greek Italikos. In typography, the style was named after Italy because it was introduced in 1501 by the Venetian printer Aldus Manutius.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Italic. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/italic
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