italicize

verb

ital·​i·​cize ə-ˈta-lə-ˌsīz 

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 note

—P. G. Davis

italicization

ə-ˌta-lə-sə-ˈzā-shən 

i-

ī-

noun

Synonyms

• accentuate
• bring out
• emphasize
• stress
• underline
• underscore

Examples of italicize in a Sentence

high-definition television italicizes every line and wrinkle in an actor's face

Recent Examples on the Web

In a startlingly modern conception, the negative space of Claudel’s abrupt amputation exposes — and italicizes — the human body’s dense, inescapable physicality. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024

Incumbent candidates are italicized with their party affiliation noted next to their name. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024

The Messages app can now bold or italicize text, and users can now react to messages using emojis instead of the previously available options, which included a question mark, exclamation point, heart and thumbs-up. —Kif Leswing, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2024

The first of which is the ability, finally, to italicize and bold text. —Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

italicize

verb

ital·​i·​cize ə-ˈtal-ə-ˌsīz 

i-,

ī-

italicized; italicizing

: to print in italics or underline with a single line