item
B1Neutral. Used across all registers from formal (academic, business) to informal.
Definition
Meaning
A single, distinct object, unit, or thing within a larger list, collection, or category.
A single entry in a list, a piece of news, a topic for discussion, or a romantic couple (informal).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is highly context-dependent. Its basic meaning is a unit in a list, but it extends metaphorically to topics (agenda items), products (store items), and news pieces. The informal sense of 'romantic couple' is dated but still understood.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use all senses. The informal 'item' (two people in a relationship) is slightly more common in AmE but remains informal in both.
Connotations
Identical in formal contexts. The informal 'being an item' may sound slightly old-fashioned to younger speakers in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely high and identical frequency in both varieties for its core meaning.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[item] of [clothing/furniture/news][list/check/include] an item[discuss/consider] the next itemVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “be an item (informal, romantic)”
- “item by item”
- “on the agenda/item list”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to entries on an agenda ('The first item is the budget'), line items on a financial report, or products for sale.
Academic
Used for individual entries in a bibliography, distinct elements in a dataset, or points in an argument.
Everyday
Most common for things on a shopping list, objects in a house, or topics of conversation.
Technical
In computing, a single record in a database or an element in a list structure.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The report will itemise all expenditures for clarity.
- Please itemise your claim on the attached form.
American English
- The bill should itemize all charges separately.
- You must itemize your deductions on the tax form.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have three items in my shopping basket.
- The first item on my list is milk.
- The main item on the news today is the election.
- Please add this item to the agenda for our next meeting.
- The contract has a contentious item regarding intellectual property rights.
- Archaeologists discovered several rare items at the dig site.
- The researcher coded each survey item separately before analysing the dataset.
- Their relationship was the talk of the town after they were spotted as an item at the gala.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a shopping LIST. IT EMerges from the list as a single, important THING to buy.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEAS/TOPICS ARE OBJECTS (We'll move on to the next item). LISTS ARE CONTAINERS (There are ten items in the container).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating it always as 'предмет'. In contexts like 'news item' or 'agenda item', it's 'новость', 'пункт'. The informal 'they are an item' is 'у них роман'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'item' for uncountable concepts ('an item of advice' is possible but 'an advice item' is wrong). Using it as a verb (except in rare, technical 'to itemise').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'item' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often physical (a shopping item), it's commonly abstract (an agenda item, a news item).
Yes, but it's informal and can sound slightly old-fashioned. Terms like 'dating' or 'in a relationship' are more current.
They are often synonyms for objects. 'Article' can imply a written composition (newspaper article) or a clause in a document, while 'item' is broader for any listable unit.
Not commonly. The verb is 'to itemise' (UK) / 'to itemize' (US), meaning to list things individually.