These are some of the honorifics used in Italy.

Nobility

As part of the republican constitution that became effective in Italy on 1 January 1948,

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

s of

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

ceased to be recognized in law (although they were not, strictly, abolished or banned), and the

organ of state Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typic ...

which had regulated them, the ''

Consulta Araldica The ''Consulta Araldica'' ( en, College of Arms) was a college instituted by royal decree on 10 October 1869 to advise the Italian government on noble titles, coats of arms and related matters. It was a department of the Ministry of the Interior, co ...

'', was abolished. However the so-called ''predicati'' — territorial or

manorial Manorialism, also known as the manor system or manorial system, was the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of Europe, notably France and later England, during the Middle Ages. Its defining features included a large, sometimes forti ...

designations that were often connected to a noble title by use of a

nobiliary particle A nobiliary particle is used in a surname or family name in many Western cultures to signal the nobility of a family. The particle used varies depending on the country, language and period of time. In some languages, it is the same as a regular p ...

such as ''di'', ''da'', ''della'', ''dei'', could be resumed as part of the legal surname upon

judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudication, adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and app ...

approval for persons who possessed it prior to 28 October 1922 (date of Italian fascism's accession to power). In practice, this meant that, e.g., "John Doe, Duke of Somewhere" or "Princess Jane of Kingdom" might become "John Doe ''di'' Somewhere" or "Jane ''della'' Kingdom", respectively. Nonetheless, titles are often still used unofficially in villages, private clubs and some social sets. ''Signore'' and ''Signora'' (formerly signifying

landed nobility Landed nobility or landed aristocracy is a category of nobility in the history of various countries, for which landownership was part of their noble privileges. Their character depends on the country. *The notion of landed gentry in the United K ...

) are translations of "Lord" and "Lady", used also in the military

hierarchy A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...

and for persons in official positions or for members of a society's

elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. D ...

. A few titles are also common in diminutive form as terms of affection for young people (e.g. ''Principino'' for "Princeling" or ''Contessina'' for "the Little Countess"). *''Imperatore'' (Emperor) / ''Imperatrice'' (Empress) *''Re'' (King) / ''Regina'' (Queen) *''Principe'' (Prince) / ''Principessa'' (Princess) *''Duca'' (Duke) / ''Duchessa'' (Duchess) *''Marchese'' (Marquis) / ''Marchesa'' (Marchioness) *''Conte'' (Count or Earl) / ''Contessa'' (Countess) *''Visconte'' (Viscount) / ''Viscontessa'' (Viscountess) *''Barone'' (Baron) / ''Baronessa'' (Baroness) *''Patrizio'' (

Patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

) / ''Patrizia'' *''Nobiluomo'' – n.h./n.u. (Nobleman) / ''Nobildonna'' – n.d. (Noblewoman) *''Cavaliere Ereditario'' (Baronet) / no female equivalent Use of the prefix "Don" as a style for certain persons of distinction spread to the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

and

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

during the Spanish domination of southern Italy in the 16th century. Officially, it was the

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

to address a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...

(as distinct from a

reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Andorra), of a people (e.g., the Franks, the Zulus) or of a spiritual community (e.g., Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism, N ...

ing) prince (''principe'') or duke (''duca''), and their children and

agnatic Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

descendants. Any Italian monarch (as in Spain) might informally be addressed or referred to with this prefix, for example King

Carlos III of Spain Charles III (born Charles Sebastian; es, Carlos Sebastián; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was King of Spain (1759–1788). He also was Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Charles I (1731–1735); Kingdom of Naples, ...

was widely known in his

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...

realm as "Don Carlo".

Genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...

databases and

dynastic A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...

works still reserve the title for this class of noble by tradition, although it is no longer a right under Italian law. In practice, especially in the countryside, ''Don'' was also used as an honorific title for untitled noblemen, such as knights. The feminine is "Donna".

State honours

The President of the Republic can award “honours of the Republic”. These are: *Medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) to persons or entity for merit or valor *Knighthood (Cavaliere di Gran Croce, Grande Ufficiale, Commendatore – comm., Cavaliere Ufficiale – cav. uff., Cavaliere – cav.) of five Orders (Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Ordine Militare d’Italia, Ordine al Merito del Lavoro, Ordine della Stella d'Italia, Ordine di Vittorio Veneto) **Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking ...

) is for outstanding merit in regard to the nation **Ordine Militare d’Italia (

Military Order of Italy The Military Order of Italy ( it, Ordine Militare d'Italia) is the highest military order of the Italian Republic and the former Kingdom of Italy. It was founded as the Military Order of Savoy, a national order by the King of Sardinia, Vittor ...

) rewards the actions of units of the armed forces or by individual soldiers, demonstrating expertise, responsibility and valour. The title may be given posthumously **Ordine al Merito del Lavoro (

Order of Merit for Labour The Order of Merit for Labour ( it, Ordine al Merito del Lavoro) is an Italian order of chivalry that was founded in 1923 by King Vittorio Emanuele III. It is awarded to those "who have been singularly meritorious" in agriculture, industry and ...

) for those who have worked with skilfulness, contributing to the development of the nation and improving the status of the workers **Ordine della Stella d'Italia (

Order of the Star of Italy The Order of the Star of Italy ( it, Ordine della Stella d'Italia ) is an Italian order of chivalry that was founded in 2011. The order was reformed from the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity by the 11th President of Italy, Giorgio Napoli ...

) for a contribution to the post-war reconstruction of Italy **Ordine di Vittorio Veneto (

Order of Vittorio Veneto The military Order of Vittorio Veneto ( it, Ordine di Vittorio Veneto) was an Italian order of chivalry that was founded as national order by the fifth President of the Italian Republic, Giuseppe Saragat, in 1968, "to express the gratitude of t ...

) for Italian soldiers of the First World War In addition, the Orders of Chivalry of the Royal

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

and other Italian dynasties may confer honorifics (Cavaliere and Dama), as do the Holy See and the Order of Malta. Oddly, the Italian Republic bestows the rank of knight but not that of dame, though ladies may be decorated with knightly rank.

State-related honorifics

*Presidente – pres. (President): used for the President of the Republic, or for the President of the Senate, of the Chamber of Deputies, of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister), of the Constitutional Court, of a Region Council, for Judges president of a Court *Presidente emerito – pres. em. (Emeritus President): used for former President of the Republic *Senatore – sen. (Senator): some are for life (ex-Presidents of the Republic and persons who 'glorified' the Country) *Onorevole - on. (Honourable): member of the Chamber of Deputies and member of the municipal Council of Rome. *Ministro – min. (Minister) *Giudice (Judge) *Console – cons. (Consul) *others

Work/profession-related titles

*Dottore / Dottoressa – dott. (Doctor; in Italy it is used for any person holding a university degree. This often confuses foreigners.) ** Dottore / Dottoressa magistrale - dott. mag. (Magistral Doctor; More specific title for people holding a ''laurea magistrale'' the Italian equivalent to a

master degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

) ** Dottore / Dottoressa di ricerca - dott. ric. ( Doctor of research; More specific title for people holding a ''dottorato di ricerca'' the Italian equivalent to a

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

, this title is the equivalent of the English

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

) *Maestro / Maestra (

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

or expert

artisan An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art ...

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

) **Mastro (archaic for artisans) *Professore – prof. / Professoressa – prof.ssa (

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

, usually used for university teachers, and high school teachers) ** Full professors in the university are most formally addressed as ''Chiarissimo Professor'' (Chiar.mo Prof.), derived from Latin ''clarus'' which meant famed. University headmasters (Rettore) are formally addressed as ''Magnifico Rettore'' (Magnificent Headmaster).

Academic/professional qualification-related titles

*High school diplomas: **Ragioniere – rag. (business economics). **Geometra – geom. (land surveying and construction). **Perito – per. (degree of technical extraction in a specific branch, such as chemistry or mechanics or naval or nautical; in some cases, however, a ''perito'' holds no more than a three-year university ''laurea''.) **Maestro / Maestra (degree from a music conservatory or educational program). Note, however, that grade-school teachers of all levels are frequently called "''maestro''" in common, everyday use, while high-school teachers are called "''professore''"). *University degrees: **Dottore – dott. (all people holding a

laurea In Italy, the ''laurea'' is the main post-secondary academic degree. The name originally referred literally to the laurel wreath, since ancient times a sign of honor and now worn by Italian students right after their official graduation ceremony ...

degree). The ''laurea'' was previously the only academic degree given by Italian Universities. With the Riforma Universitaria, the Italian system has moved closer to conformity with the rest of Europe and North America. ''Laurea'' may now refer to a three-year degree (the ''laurea triennale'') or to a ''laurea magistrale'', or Master's degree, which requires two additional years of study. The former confers the title ''dottore''; holders of the latter receive the academic title ''dottore magistrale''. Outside Italy, however, it is inappropriate for the holder of a new ''laurea'' to use the title "Doctor". **Avvocato – avv. (Lawyer, a laurea specialistica in law and a state-exam are both required.) **Ingegnere – ing. (Engineer, a laurea specialistica in engineering and a state-exam are both required.) **Architetto – arch. (Architect, a laurea specialistica in architecture and a state-exam are both required.) **Dottore di Ricerca (holder of a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

, literally "Doctor of Research").

Roman Catholic Church titles

Besides normal titles, there are some honorifics that are peculiar to the Catholic Church, being found in European countries of Catholic tradition: *Don - used for members of the

secular clergy In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogra ...

, more a form of address than a title as such, don comes from a medieval styling for very esteemed persons, it is a colloquial form of Dominus - the Latin for Lord, Sir. It is still used for Bishops, or citizens in some areas (as in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

and

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

). *prevosto: provost - title used in northern Italy and Tuscany for important parish priests. *arciprete:

archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogous ...

- usually used for the senior priest in an important or significant town that is not a bishop's seat, i.e. not the centre of a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

. *curato:

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

- parish priest of the countryside. *canonico:

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

- the senior priests attached to the cathedral, who have special

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

and administrative responsibilities both there and in the diocese.

Military titles of rank

*Esercito (Army): see Italian Army enlisted military ranks and Italian Army officers military ranks *Marina Militare (Navy): see

Naval officer ranks An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

*Aeronautica Militare (Air force) *

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...

(gendarmerie): officers ranks are the same as in the Italian Army.

Style for letters

Excluding special titles or antique versions, in Italy this is the manner of address in letters:

References

External links

State honorifics from the site of the Presidency of the Italian RepublicArmed Forces on the site of the Ministry of DefenceSite of the Ministry of InstructionSite of the Ministry of University and Research
{{Honorifics Honorifics by country Italian culture Italian language Honorifics by language