Standard Lemma guide

item

adv · noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈaɪ.təm/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈaɪ.təm/
  • Canada, General-American: [ˈaɪ̯.ɾəm]
  • Canada, General-American: [ˈaɪ̯.ɾm̩]
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈɑe.təm/
  • Australian: [ˈɑe̯.ɾəm]
  • Australian: [ˈɑe̯.ɾm̩]
  • New-Zealand: /ˈaɪ.təm/
  • New-Zealand: [ˈɑe̯.ɾəm]
  • New-Zealand: [ˈɑe̯.ɾm̩]
  • CMU ARPABET: AY1 T AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

likewise

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A distinct physical object.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Tweezers are great for manipulating small items.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An object that can be picked up for later use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Topics: video-games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A line of text having a legal or other meaning; a separate particular in an account.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • the items in a bill
  • In response to the first item, we deny all wrongdoing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A question on a test, which may include its answers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: psychometrics

Examples

  • The exam has 100 items, each of which includes a correct response and three distractors.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A matter for discussion in an agenda.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The first item for discussion is the budget for next year's picnic.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Two people who are having a romantic or sexual relationship with each other.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Jack and Jill are an item.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A short article in a newspaper.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • an item concerning the weather

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A hint; an innuendo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

Ellipsis of item girl.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: India, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter I.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: World War II era; joint US/RAF; World War II era; joint US/RAF

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: India

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To make a note of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

adverb

Meaning 13

(used when listing or enumerating items) also-Philip Guedalla

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a length of chain, item a hook

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

a whole individual unit; especially when included in a list or collection

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they reduced the price on many items

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: whole, unit

Narrower terms: custom-made, custom-built, disposable, piece

15

noun

Meaning 15

an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • several of the details are similar
  • a point of information

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: detail, point

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fact

Narrower terms: minutia, nook and cranny, nooks and crannies, respect, regard, sticking point, technicality, trifle, triviality

16

noun

Meaning 16

a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he noticed an item in the New York Times
  • she had several items on her shopping list
  • the main point on the agenda was taken up first

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: point

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: part, portion, component part, component, constituent

Narrower terms: agenda item, incidental, inventory item, line item, news item, place, position

17

noun

Meaning 17

an individual instance of a type of symbol

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the word`error' contains three tokens of `r'

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: token

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: symbol

Narrower terms: postage, postage stamp, stamp, trading stamp

18

noun

Meaning 18

a small part that can be considered separately from the whole

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it was perfect in all details

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: detail, particular

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: part, portion, component part, component, constituent

Narrower terms: highlight, high spot

History

Etymology

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".

Across languages

Translations

134 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بَنْد (band) — distinct physical object
  • Armenian: միավոր (miavor) — distinct physical object
  • Armenian: միույթ (miuytʻ) — distinct physical object
  • Bulgarian: обект (obekt) — distinct physical object
  • Bulgarian: предмет (predmet) — distinct physical object
  • Catalan: article — distinct physical object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 項目 /项目 (xiàngmù) — distinct physical object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 東西 /东西 (dōngxi) — distinct physical object
  • Czech: předmět — distinct physical object
  • Danish: stykke — distinct physical object
  • Dutch: exemplaar — distinct physical object
  • Dutch: artikel — distinct physical object
  • Dutch: stuk — distinct physical object
  • Dutch: object — distinct physical object
  • Esperanto: ero — distinct physical object
  • Estonian: ese — distinct physical object
  • Finnish: esine — distinct physical object
  • French: article — distinct physical object
  • French: truc — distinct physical object
  • Galician: artigo — distinct physical object
  • German: Ding — distinct physical object
  • German: Gegenstand — distinct physical object
  • German: Stück — distinct physical object
  • German: Artikel — distinct physical object
  • Hebrew: אבזר — distinct physical object
  • Hebrew: פריט (prit) — distinct physical object
  • Hungarian: cikk — distinct physical object
  • Hungarian: tárgy — distinct physical object
  • Hungarian: dolog — distinct physical object
  • Indonesian: benda — distinct physical object
  • Indonesian: objek — distinct physical object
  • Italian: articolo — distinct physical object
  • Italian: elemento — distinct physical object
  • Japanese: 項目 (kōmoku) — distinct physical object
  • Kazakh: зат (zat) — distinct physical object
  • Kazakh: нәрсе (närse) — distinct physical object
  • Macedonian: пре́дмет (prédmet) — distinct physical object
  • Māori: tūemi — distinct physical object
  • Marathi: वस्तू (vastū) — distinct physical object
  • Mongolian: зүйл (züjl) — distinct physical object
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ting — distinct physical object
  • Norwegian Bokmål: greie — distinct physical object
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sak — distinct physical object
  • Polish: rzecz — distinct physical object
  • Polish: przedmiot — distinct physical object
  • Polish: sztuka — distinct physical object
  • Polish: obiekt — distinct physical object
  • Polish: artykuł — distinct physical object
  • Portuguese: item — distinct physical object
  • Romanian: articol — distinct physical object
  • Romanian: exemplar — distinct physical object
  • Romanian: bucată — distinct physical object
  • Romanian: obiect — distinct physical object
  • Russian: предме́т (predmét) — distinct physical object
  • Russian: шту́ка (štúka) — distinct physical object
  • Russian: вещь (veščʹ) — distinct physical object
  • Slovene: predmet — distinct physical object
  • Spanish: artículo — distinct physical object
  • Spanish: insumo — distinct physical object
  • Spanish: elemento — distinct physical object
  • Spanish: producto — distinct physical object
  • Spanish: ítem — distinct physical object
  • Swahili: kifaa — distinct physical object
  • Swedish: föremål — distinct physical object
  • Swedish: ting — distinct physical object
  • Swedish: sak — distinct physical object
  • Tigrinya: ውልቀ ነገር (wəlḳä nägär) — distinct physical object
  • Tocharian B: wreme — distinct physical object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 寶物 /宝物 (bǎowù) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Chinese Mandarin: 物品 (wùpǐn) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Finnish: esine — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Finnish: tavara — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • French: objet — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • German: Gegenstand — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Italian: oggetto — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Japanese: 物品 (buppin) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Japanese: 品物 (shinamono) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Japanese: アイテム (aitemu) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Japanese: 持ち物 (mochimono) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Korean: 아이템 (aitem) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Macedonian: пре́дмет (prédmet) — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Spanish: ítem — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Turkish: item — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Vietnamese: vật phẩm — video games: object that can be picked up for later use
  • Armenian: հոդված (hodvac) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Bulgarian: параграф (paragraf) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Czech: položka — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Danish: punkt — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Finnish: kohta — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Hungarian: tétel — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Macedonian: па́раграф (páragraf) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Macedonian: ред (red) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Māori: tūemi — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Russian: строка (stroka) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Russian: позиция (pozicija) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Russian: пункт (punkt) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Ukrainian: пози́ція (pozýcija) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Ukrainian: пункт (punkt) — line of text having a particular meaning
  • Finnish: kohta — test assessment question
  • Finnish: kysymys — test assessment question
  • Finnish: tehtävä — test assessment question
  • Hungarian: kérdés — test assessment question
  • Hungarian: feladat — test assessment question
  • Bulgarian: точка (točka) — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Bulgarian: пункт (punkt) — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Czech: bod — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Danish: punkt — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Dutch: agendapunt — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Finnish: esityslistan kohta — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Finnish: kohta — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Finnish: asiakohta — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • French: point — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Hungarian: téma — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Hungarian: pont — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Italian: punto — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Macedonian: то́чка (tóčka) — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Māori: kaupapa — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Portuguese: item — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Romanian: punct de agendă — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Slovene: zadeva — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Swedish: punkt u — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Ukrainian: пита́ння (pytánnja) — matter for discussion in an agenda
  • Dutch: koppeltje — informal: two people who are having a relationship with each other
  • Finnish: pari — informal: two people who are having a relationship with each other
  • Hungarian: pár — informal: two people who are having a relationship with each other
  • Macedonian: пар (par) — informal: two people who are having a relationship with each other
  • Russian: пара (para) — informal: two people who are having a relationship with each other
  • Finnish: juttu — short article
  • Macedonian: ста́тија (státija) — short article
  • Māori: pito kōrero — short article
  • Russian: статья́ f заме́тка (statʹjá) — short article
  • Ukrainian: стаття́ (stattjá) — short article
  • Ukrainian: замі́тка (zamítka) — short article
  • Finnish: vihje — hint; innuendo