ENGLISH
REFERENCE

italics

n. plural-only
B2 Upper Intermediate US //aɪˈtæɫɪks// UK //ɪtˈælɪks// ital·ics

n. a style of writing where the letters lean to the right. You use this to make a word stand out or to show the title of a book.

n. a typeface style in which characters slant to the right. Used to indicate emphasis, foreign words, or titles of creative works.


SIMPLE

The book titles in this list are in italics.

CONTEXTUAL

The editor suggested putting the character's internal thoughts in italics to distinguish them from the spoken dialogue.

COMPLEX

Standard academic style guides usually require that the names of specific biological species be written in italics to maintain consistency across scientific publications.

Synonyms
Usage

Takes a plural verb; often used with the preposition 'in' ('written in italics').

Pitfall

The word is in italic.The word is in italics.When referring to the style of writing, the plural form 'italics' is the standard usage.

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