Meaning & use
Italians
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“Italians” is a form of “Italian”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
People from Italy, or people of Italian descent living elsewhere.
Grammar: Always plural; the singular is Italian (one person), e.g. 'She is Italian.'
Patterns
- Italians in a place
- Italians are known for something
My neighbors are Italians who moved here from Naples twenty years ago.
Italians make up a large part of the city's restaurant owners.
Many Italians living abroad still cook traditional family recipes.
nounplural
The people of Italy considered as a nation or group.
Grammar: Used with a plural verb when it means the people as a whole: 'Italians love football.'
Patterns
- the Italians
- Italians generally
The Italians have a long tradition of winemaking.
Italians generally eat dinner later than people in northern Europe.
Word forms
| singular | Italian |
|---|
Common combinations
- southern Italians
- Southern Italians often use olive oil in almost every dish.
- Italians abroad
- Italians abroad often celebrate holidays with big family meals.
- Italians are known for
- Italians are known for their coffee culture.
- Italian Americans
- Italian Americans hold street festivals in many East Coast cities.
Word family
Commonly confused: Italians or italic?
Italians vs italic
Italic refers to a slanted style of letters, not to Italy.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'Italians' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Italians' is a plural noun for the people, so it takes a plural verb: 'Italians often drink espresso.' Option 1 wrongly uses it for the country (Italy). Option 2 needs the singular 'Italian' for one person. Option 4 needs the language name 'Italian'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Italians”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.