italic

Of or pertaining to ancient Italy or the tribes, including the Romans, which inhabited it, or to their languages.

Of or pertaining to modern Italy.

Specifically— In architecture, same as Composite, 3.

[lowercase or cap.) Of Italian origin: designating a style of printingtypes the lines of which slope toward the right (thus, italic), used for emphasis and other distinctive purposes. The italic character was first made and shown in type by Aldus Manutius, a notable printer of Venice, in an edition of Virgil, 1501, and by him dedicated to Italy. The first italic had upright capitals, but later French type-founders inclined them to the same angle as the small letters. In manuscript italic is indicated by underscoring the words with a single line.

In printing, an italic letter or type: usually in the plural: as, this is to be printed in italics. Abbreviated ital.

Relating to Italy or to its people.

Applied especially to a kind of type in which the letters do not stand upright, but slope toward the right; — so called because dedicated to the States of Italy by the inventor, Aldus Manutius, about the year 1500.

the group or family of languages of ancient Italy.

the composite order. See Composite.

a term given to the Pythagorean and Eleatic philosophers, from the country where their doctrines were first promulgated.