Meanings
italic1
adjectiveitalic (not comparable)
alternative italick
- not comparablemediaDesigned to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century.
nounitalic (plural italics)
plural italics · alternative italick
- mediaA typeface in which the letters slant to the right.
Names of vessels, as the Kearsarge or the Alabama, are frequently put in italic.
1902, Theodore Low DeVinne, The Practice of Typography: Correct Composition, page 1041 more example
[…] ROBERT GRANJON, possibly in collaboration with CLAUDE GARAMOND, had created an italic which matched Garamond Roman.
1983, Ida M. Kimber, The Art of Lettering, translation of original by Albert Kapr, page 329 - An oblique handwriting style, such as used by Italian calligraphers of the Renaissance.
Spenser uses two different scripts: an Elizabethan secretary hand for English texts, and an italic 'mixed' with secretary graphs for Latin texts […]
1990, Albert Charles Hamilton, The Spenser Encyclopedia, →ISBN, page 345
Italic2
adjectiveItalic (not comparable)
- not comparableOf or relating to the Italian peninsula.
- Indo European studiesnot comparablePertaining to a subfamily of the Centum branch of the Indo-European language family, that includes Latin and other languages (as Oscan, Umbrian) spoken by the peoples of ancient Italy
- Indo European studiesdatednot comparableOsco-Umbrian; an extinct branch of such language family, which excludes the Latino-Faliscan languages
The ancient Italic languages that are now extinct include Oscan, Umbrian, and South Picene.
Synonyms: Osco-Umbrian, Sabellic, Sabellian
- historicalnot comparablePertaining to various peoples that lived in Italy before the establishment of the Roman Empire, or to any of several alphabet systems used by those peoples.
There were several Italic alphabets, one being the Etruscan alphabet.
proper noun
- The Italic family taken as a whole.
The centum families include Celtic, Germanic, Greek, and Italic.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOsco-Umbrian; an extinct branch of such language family, which excludes the Latino-Faliscan languages
antonym(s) of “oblique”
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
nouna branch of the Indo-European languages of which Latin is the chief representative
Similar
Italic language
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
italic · adjective, noun
Named after the nation of Italy, as it was first used by an Italian printer, Aldo Manuzio, around 1500. Literally Italy + -ic.
Full word history & related roots →Italic · adjective, proper noun
- Ancient GreekἸταλικός
- Latinītalicus
- EnglishItalic
Via Latin ītalicus from Ancient Greek Ἰταλικός (Italikós), from Ἰταλία (Italía, “Italy”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian курсивен, курсив
- курсивен (kursiven)designed to resemble a handwriting style
- курсив (kursiv)typeface whose letters slant to the right
Catalan cursiva, itàlica
- cursivadesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- itàlicadesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- cursivatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- itàlicof or relating to the Italian peninsula
- itàlicpertaining to various peoples that lived in Italy
- itàlicpertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- itàlicItalic language
Chinese Mandarin 斜體的 /斜体的, 斜體 /斜体
- 斜體的 /斜体的 (xiétǐ de)having a slant to the right
- 斜體 /斜体 (xiétǐ)typeface whose letters slant to the right
Czech kurzivní, kurziva
- kurzivníhaving a slant to the right
- kurzivatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- kurzívatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- italikatypeface whose letters slant to the right
Danish kursiv, italisk
- kursivdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- italiskof or relating to the Italian peninsula
- italiskpertaining to various peoples that lived in Italy
- italiskpertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- italisk (sprog)Italic language
Dutch cursief, Italisch
- cursiefdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- Italischof or relating to the Italian peninsula
- Italischpertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
Esperanto kursivo, oblikvo
- kursivodesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- oblikvohaving a slant to the right
Finnish kursiivi, kursiivinen
- kursiividesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- kursiivinendesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- kursiivitypeface whose letters slant to the right
- italialainenof or relating to the Italian peninsula
- itaalinenpertaining to various peoples that lived in Italy
- itaalinenpertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- itaalinen kieliItalic language
French italique, italique
- italiquedesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- italiquetypeface whose letters slant to the right
- italiqueof or relating to the Italian peninsula
German kursiv, Kursivschrift
- kursivdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- Kursivschrifttypeface whose letters slant to the right
- Kursivdrucktypeface whose letters slant to the right
- italischof or relating to the Italian peninsula
- italischpertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- ItalischItalic language
Greek πλάγιος χαρακτήρας
- πλάγιος χαρακτήρας (plágios charaktíras)typeface whose letters slant to the right
Hebrew נָטוּי
- נָטוּי (natúy)designed to resemble a handwriting style
Hindi इटालिक, इटालिक
- इटालिक (iṭālik)of or relating to the Italian peninsula
- इटालिक (iṭālik)pertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- इटालिक (iṭālik)Italic language
Hungarian kurzív, dőlt
- kurzívdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- dőlthaving a slant to the right
Icelandic skáletur, fornítalskur
- skáleturtypeface whose letters slant to the right
- fornítalskurpertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
Indonesian kursif, miring
- kursifdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- miringhaving a slant to the right
- italiktypeface whose letters slant to the right
Irish iodálach, cló iodálach
- iodálachdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- cló iodálachtypeface whose letters slant to the right
- iodálaightypeface whose letters slant to the right
Italian corsivo, corsiva
- corsivodesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- corsivadesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- italicoof or relating to the Italian peninsula
Japanese イタリック, 斜体の
- イタリック (itarikku)designed to resemble a handwriting style
- 斜体の (shatai no)having a slant to the right
- 斜体 (shatai)typeface whose letters slant to the right
- イタリック (itarikku)typeface whose letters slant to the right
- イタリアの (itariano)of or relating to the Italian peninsula
- イタリア語派の (itaria goha no)pertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- イタリック語派 (itarikku goha)Italic language
Māori tuhi tītaha, nō Itari
- tuhi tītahatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- nō Itariof or relating to the Italian peninsula
Norwegian kursiv
- kursivdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
Polish zapisany kursywą, przechylony w prawo
- zapisany kursywądesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- przechylony w prawohaving a slant to the right
- kursywatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- italskiof or relating to the Italian peninsula
- italskipertaining to various peoples that lived in Italy
- italskipertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- język italskiItalic language
Portuguese itálico, itálico
- itálicodesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- itálicotypeface whose letters slant to the right
Romanian italic
- italicof or relating to the Italian peninsula
Russian курси́вный, накло́нный
- курси́вный (kursívnyj)designed to resemble a handwriting style
- накло́нный (naklónnyj)having a slant to the right
- курси́в (kursív)typeface whose letters slant to the right
Scottish Gaelic clò eadailteach, clò eadailteach
- clò eadailteachdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- clò eadailteachtypeface whose letters slant to the right
Spanish cursivo, bastardillo
- cursivodesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- bastardillodesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- itálicodesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- cursivatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- itálicatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- letra bastardillatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- bastardillatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- letra cursivatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- letra itálicatypeface whose letters slant to the right
- itálicoof or relating to the Italian peninsula
Swedish kursiv, kursiv
- kursivdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- kursivtypeface whose letters slant to the right
- italiska språkItalic language
Turkish italik, eğik
- italikdesigned to resemble a handwriting style
- eğikhaving a slant to the right
- eğimlihaving a slant to the right
- italiktypeface whose letters slant to the right
Ukrainian італьський, італьська мова
- італьський (italʹsʹkyj)pertaining to a subfamily of a branch of the Indo-European language family
- італьська мова (italʹsʹka mova)Italic language
Cite this entry
APA
italic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/italic
MLA
“italic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/italic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “italic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/italic.
Source: italic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.