italicize

verb

ital·​i·​cize ə-ˈta-lə-ˌsīz How to pronounce italicize (audio)
i-,
ī-
italicized; italicizing

transitive verb

1
: to print in italics or underscore with a single line
2
: emphasize
the microphone italicizes every curdled top noteP. G. Davis
italicization noun

Examples of italicize in a Sentence

high-definition television italicizes every line and wrinkle in an actor's face
Recent Examples on the Web The play, similarly, italicizes its themes, most of which are bluntly realized on Kawecki’s set that manages to be both busily semaphoric and strikingly inert. Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024 To italicize the love letter to tenor Peter Pears that Britten coded into this 17th-century text by Francis Quayle, Hoskins swirled extra sweetness into its closing lento. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023 Jon Balke’s score is a spare accompaniment that knows when to italicize the unease and when to color in the serenity. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023 De Los does not normally italicize Spanish words in our copy. J.p. Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2023 The producers of what’s still being called Untitled Smurfs Animated Film (officially italicized as such, so maybe that will be the title) announced Thursday that Rihanna will step into the role. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2023 Students who read the essay without a pretest were given additional time to study, or else the students’ attention was focused on the critical passages in one of several ways: by italicizing the critical section or by making the key term that would be tested bold, or by a combination of strategies. Bridgid Finn, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2010 Winners of each race are italicized. Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2023 Hosted by actor Boris Kodjoe, the event italicized the contributions Black women have made in film and television — particularly this year, but also across eras and generations. Evan Nicole Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'italicize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of italicize was in 1795

Dictionary Entries Near italicize

Cite this Entry

“Italicize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/italicize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

italicize

verb
ital·​i·​cize ə-ˈtal-ə-ˌsīz How to pronounce italicize (audio)
i-,
ī-
italicized; italicizing
: to print in italics or underline with a single line

More from Merriam-Webster on italicize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!