ENGLISH
REFERENCE

item

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈaɪtəm// UK //ˈaɪtəm// item Academic Archaic General-service Informal

n. a single thing in a set, a group, or a list. You use this when talking about one object among many, like a piece of clothing or a food product.

n. an individual article or unit within a larger collection or list. Often used in commercial, administrative, or inventory contexts to distinguish specific objects.


SIMPLE

Please check every item on the shopping list.

CONTEXTUAL

The cashier scanned each item carefully to make sure the prices matched the labels on the shelf.

COMPLEX

While the museum houses thousands of artifacts, this specific item is considered the most significant due to its pristine condition and historical inscriptions.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English item, from Latin item (“also; in the same manner”). The present English meaning derives from a usage in lists, where the first entry would begin in primis (“firstly”) or imprimis, and the other entries with item (“also, moreover”). Later, the members of lists were referred to as "items".

Usage

Commonly used with 'of' to specify a category, such as 'an item of clothing' or 'an item of news'.

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