item
item — noun
1. one piece among many that belong to a certain group, set, or list — for example,
one piece among many that belong to a certain group, set, or list — for example, a piece of fruit in a shopping basket, a product on a store shelf, or a piece of clothing in a suitcase.
Kabir picked up each item on the supermarket shelf to check the price.
item on [shelf / list / menu] — location preposition
The museum display contains over two hundred items from the Ming dynasty.
item from [period / place] — origin preposition
Valentina packed every item of clothing into a single small bag.
item of [clothing / furniture / food]
This wooden bowl is the oldest item in the antique shop.
Lien handed the cashier each item from the basket one at a time.
- each item
- every item
- single item
- item of clothing
- item on the list
- item in the collection
- item from the menu
- thing
more general and less precise; thing can refer to anything, while item suggests belonging to a set or list
- object
emphasises physical form rather than the idea of being part of a list
- article
slightly more formal; often used for products, documents, or pieces of writing
- unit
focuses on the idea of each separate part counted in a whole
Grammar Patterns
item + of + noun
item + on/in + noun phrase
Usage Note
This is the broadest and most frequent sense of item. It works for both physical objects (a chair, a book) and abstract units (a task, a piece of data). The preposition of signals what category the item belongs to; on or in signals which list or space it appears in.
Common Mistakes
2. a specific subject, topic, or piece of business that is to be discussed, decided
a specific subject, topic, or piece of business that is to be discussed, decided, or dealt with in a meeting, a plan, or an agenda.
The first item on the agenda is the school budget for next year.
item on the agenda — fixed phrase
Felipe asked to add an extra item to the meeting schedule before lunch.
Diya reminded everyone that the final item for discussion was the holiday party.
item for discussion — purpose preposition
Each action item from last month's meeting was checked off the list.
action item — business collocation
The committee ran out of time before reaching the last item on the agenda.
- agenda item
- action item
- first item
- next item
- item for discussion
- item on the agenda
- budget item
- topic
broader; topic does not necessarily belong to a formal list or agenda
- matter
slightly more formal; matter suggests something that needs attention or resolution
- point
used in point of discussion; similar but often shorter and less structured
- subject
general word for what is being talked about; less specific to agendas
Grammar Patterns
item + on + noun phrase
Usage Note
Commonly used in formal or workplace settings with words like agenda, meeting, schedule, discussion, or business. The phrase action item refers to a task that someone has agreed to complete after a meeting.
Common Mistakes
3. a single report, story, or piece of information that appears across media such a
a single report, story, or piece of information that appears across media such as newspapers, TV, radio, or websites.
The evening news led with an item about the earthquake in Turkey.
news item — compound noun; item about [topic]
Paloma read a short news item on the school website about the new library hours.
There was a fascinating item in the science journal about deep-sea creatures.
item in [publication]
Mira usually skips the sports items and reads the opinion section first.
The radio station repeated the same news item every hour.
- news item
- feature item
- item about
- item on the news
- brief item
- short item
- report
more formal; report often suggests a detailed account investigated by a journalist
- story
more common in informal journalism; focuses on the narrative aspect
- article
specifically a written piece in a newspaper or magazine, not a TV/radio item
- piece
general; a piece can be any short journalistic work across media
Grammar Patterns
news item
item + on/about + noun phrase
Usage Note
Often preceded by news or feature to specify the type of report. Feature item refers to a longer, more in-depth story rather than a brief announcement.
Common Mistakes
4. each single thing considered, handled, or dealt with separately, not together as
each single thing considered, handled, or dealt with separately, not together as a group — for example, checking each question on a test one after another, or packing things one at a time.
The customs officer checked every item in the suitcase one by one.
item by item / one by one — distributive pattern
Hamza went through the contract item by item before signing it.
The shop charges a small fee per item when you buy in bulk.
Jin listed every item of furniture and assigned it a price.
every item of — quantifying pattern
The teacher marked each test item wrong or right without giving partial credit.
- item by item
- per item
- each item
- every item
- individually
adverb that can replace item by item; more formal
- separately
emphasises the idea of not combining things
- one at a time
more conversational and clearer for learners; not specific to items
- together
as a group, not separately
Grammar Patterns
item by item
per item
each item
Usage Note
Frequently used adverbially in the fixed phrase item by item, meaning 'one at a time.' Distinguish from sense 1 (INDIVIDUAL ARTICLE): here the focus is on the process of handling things separately, not on the things themselves.
5. two people who are understood to be dating or involved with each other romantica
two people who are understood to be dating or involved with each other romantically — for example, two colleagues whom everyone at the office knows are a couple.
Shirin and Darius have been an item since last summer.
be an item — fixed phrase for romantic couple
Nobody at work knew that the two managers were an item until they got married.
Are Ilan and Lien still an item, or did they break up last month?
The magazine claimed that the two actors are an item, but neither confirmed it.
When classmates found out the two teachers were an item, they were very surprised.
- be an item
- become an item
- singles
people not in a romantic relationship
Grammar Patterns
be + an + item
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the pattern be an item. This is an informal, light-hearted expression. It does not take modifiers — you cannot say a serious item or a long-term item. Use relationship or couple for formal or neutral contexts.
Common Mistakes
be an item
idiomTwo people are in a romantic relationship with each other.
Maya and Diego have been an item for three years now.
Are Brian and Sara an item? I saw them holding hands.
item — adverb
1. also; and in the same way — used in formal written lists to introduce each new t
also; and in the same way — used in formal written lists to introduce each new thing after the first one, especially in legal documents, inventories, or structured notes.
Item: one wooden dining table. Item: six matching chairs.
formal list structure: 'Item: [description]' repeated
The will stated: Item, I leave my house to my eldest daughter.
The inventory listed five boxes of books; item, three rolls of fabric; item, two lamps.
Item, the defendant claims he was not present. Item, three witnesses say otherwise.
Grammar Patterns
item: [new thing] — used to introduce each entry in a list
Usage Note
This use is almost entirely restricted to formal writing (legal documents, official inventories, old-fashioned lists). In modern everyday English, also, similarly, or in addition are far more common. Learners should recognise this sense when reading historical or legal texts but rarely need to produce it.
item — verb
1. to calculate or figure out a number, amount, or value — an older, less common me
to calculate or figure out a number, amount, or value — an older, less common meaning that modern English speakers would usually express with compute, reckon, or calculate.
The merchant calculated the total cost of the goods before writing the invoice.
calculate + direct object (total cost / expenses / value)
It took the accountant all morning to calculate the expenses for the quarter.
The scholar calculated the value of each manuscript in the library collection.
The clerk calculated the fees for each service before sending the invoice.
Grammar Patterns
item + object (amount, cost)
Usage Note
This sense is archaic. Modern English uses compute, calculate, or reckon instead. Learners are unlikely to encounter it except in very old texts (18th–19th century). The modern verb form itemise meaning 'to list in detail' is unrelated in meaning.
2. to write down or record each separate detail of something, especially charges, e
to write down or record each separate detail of something, especially charges, expenses, or tasks, so that nothing is left out or grouped together.
The mechanic itemised every repair on the bill so the customer could see the charges.
itemised [every repair / each charge] — listing in detail
Please itemise the expenses on the form so we can reimburse you for each cost.
The lawyer asked her assistant to itemise all the documents in the case file.
The committee decided to itemise the requirements for each stage of the project.
- item expenses
- item charges
- item details
- item each cost
- lump together
to group items without separating them
Grammar Patterns
item + object (list, details, expenses)
Usage Note
The more common form in modern English is itemise (or itemize in American spelling). This sense (to list details) is distinct from sense 1 (to compute). The noun itemisation is frequently used in finance and project management.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- itemiseverbB2
- itemizeverbB2
- itemisationnounC1
- itemizationnounC1
- itemisedadjectiveB2
- itemizedadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All five words refer to a single entity, but they differ in what aspect of that entity they highlight. Item is the most list-oriented: it suggests that the thing belongs to a set, catalogue, or sequence. If you buy groceries, each product is an item on your receipt. Thing is the broadest and most informal — it can refer to anything at all, from a physical rock to an abstract idea, with no implication of being part of a group. Object focuses on physical form and material presence: a statue is an object, but a thought is not. Article leans formal and is typically used for products, documents, or pieces of writing (an article of clothing, an article of the constitution). Unit emphasises being a countable part of a whole, often in technical or commercial contexts (a unit of measurement, a storage unit). In everyday use, item and thing are the most versatile; object and article belong to slightly more formal registers; and unit is the most technical.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word item comes from the Latin adverb item, meaning 'also' or 'likewise.' In medieval inventories and legal lists, scribes would write item before each new entry on the list — essentially saying 'also: …' Over time, this introductory word was reinterpreted as the noun for the thing being listed, giving us the modern meaning of 'a single thing in a collection or list.' The verb senses (to compute and to list details) developed later, and the adverb sense remains in formal written lists.