panini

noun

pa·​ni·​ni pə-ˈnē-nē 

variants or less commonly panino

pə-ˈnē-nō 

plural panini or paninis

: a usually grilled sandwich made with Italian bread

Note: Panini is a plural form in Italian but is commonly used as both a singular and a plural in English. Its use as a singular has given rise the variant plural form paninis. The use of panino as a singular form in English has become relatively uncommon as panini has become established as the usual singular.

On each visit, someone at our table invariably orders a panini …

—Jodi Wright

At the back of the shop are paninis, freshly brewed coffee and two tubs of homemade soups.

—M. H. Reed

Examples of panini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Zoom in: The menu is massive and runs the gamut of traditional breakfast, brunch and lunch items like omelettes, eggs Benedicts, burgers, wraps and even Italian paninis. —Jeremy Duda, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025

The restaurant — serving salads, wraps, sandwiches, grain bowls, paninis and soups — is opening a restaurant in Overland Park’s burgeoning Bluhawk development in July. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2025

Each offers an authentic Italian taste that complements a diverse array of dishes, including pasta, paninis, crostini, pizza, poultry and seafood, with no need to heat or cook. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025

There’s also all-day dining at Conservatorio restaurant and poolside Café Focolare, which serves pizza and Florentine panini. —Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of pane bread, from Latin panis — more at food

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for panini

• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• agouti
• allottee
• amphorae
• amputee
• apc
• apogee
• appointee
• assessee