italy
n. uncountablen. a country in southern Europe that is shaped like a boot. It is famous for its history, art, and food like pizza and pasta.
n. a republic in southern Europe comprising a boot-shaped peninsula and several islands in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a founding member of the European Union and home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
We are planning a trip to Italy this summer.
Many students travel to Italy to study Renaissance art and architecture in cities like Florence and Rome.
The unification of Italy in the nineteenth century brought together various independent states into a single kingdom, eventually leading to the modern republic we recognize today.
Etymology tree Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (víteliú)bor.? Ancient Greek Ῑ̓ταλίᾱ (Ītalíā)der. Latin Italiabor. Old English Italia English Italy Inherited from Old English Italia. Usually explained as a cognate of vitulus (“calf”), thus meaning "land of young bulls" in Oscan. In that case, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wet- (“year”). According to some ancient Greek authors, named after a king Italus or Italos, whose kingdom was on the peninsula. Doublet of Italia.
As a proper noun, it is always capitalized and typically used without an article.