Italian words ending in -ente (from English -ent)
Add a vowel and English -ent becomes Italian -ente: president → presidente, different → differente, intelligent → intelligente. The adjectives in this family are the easiest in the language.
How the rule works
- Adjectives in -ente have one singular form for both genders: un uomo intelligente, una donna intelligente.
- Plural is -enti for both genders.
- Italian keeps double consonants English dropped: different → differente.
- Many are also present participles doing duty as adjectives — seguente, vivente.
Start with these
- president → presidente
- current → corrente
- present → presente
- student → studente
- environment → ambiente
- patient → paziente
Every verified word in this family (121)
Each pair below was checked on both sides: the Italian word exists in a spell-checker and a frequency list, and the meaning was cross-checked rather than assumed from the spelling. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
- accident→incidente
- adolescent→adolescente
- afferent→afferente
- affluent→affluente
- ambient→ambiente
- ambivalent→ambivalente
- antecedent→antecedente
- apparent→apparenteLatin apparens ‘apparentem’
- ardent→ardente
- assent→assente
- astringent→astringente
- benevolent→benevolente
- bioluminescent→bioluminescente
- clement→clemente
- client→cliente
- coefficient→coefficiente
- component→componente
- concupiscent→concupiscente
- congruent→congruente
- continent→continente
- contingent→contingente
- convalescent→convalescente
- convergent→convergente
- correspondent→corrispondente
- covalent→covalente
- current→corrente
- deferent→deferente
- deficient→deficienteLatin deficiens
- delinquent→delinquente
- dement→demente
- deterrent→deterrente
- diffident→diffidente
- diligent→diligente
- dissent→dissente
- dissident→dissidente
- efferent→efferente
- effervescent→effervescente
- efficient→efficienteLatin efficiens
- effluent→effluente
- eloquent→eloquente
- emergent→emergente
- eminent→eminenteLatin ēminēns ‘ēminentem’
- emollient→emolliente
- environment→ambiente
- equivalent→equivalente
- evanescent→evanescente
- evident→evidenteLatin ēvidēns ‘ēvidentem’
- fervent→fervente
- fluorescent→fluorescente
- gradient→gradiente
- immanent→immanente
- imminent→imminenteLatin imminēns ‘imminentem’
- impudent→impudente
- incandescent→incandescente
- incident→incidente
- incipient→incipiente
- incompetent→incompetente
- incontinent→incontinente
- indigent→indigente
- indolent→indolente
- indulgent→indulgente
- influent→influente
- infrequent→infrequente
- ingredient→ingrediente
- innocent→innocente
- insistent→insistente
- insolent→insolente
- insolvent→insolvente
- intelligent→intelligente
- intent→intente
- intermittent→intermittenteLatin intermittēns ‘intermittentem’
- intransigent→intransigente
- iridescent→iridescente
- latent→latente
- lucent→lucente
- luminescent→luminescente
- magnificent→magnificente
- magniloquent→magniloquente
- negligent→negligenteLatin negligens ‘negligentem’
- nutrient→nutriente
- occident→occidente
- opalescent→opalescente
- opponent→opponente
- orient→oriente
- patient→paziente
- penitent→penitente
- pertinent→pertinenteLatin pertinens
- preadolescent→preadolescente
- precedent→precedente
- prescient→presciente
- present→presente
- president→presidente
- prominent→prominenteLatin prōminēns ‘prōminentem’
- pubescent→pubescente
- putrescent→putrescente
- quiescent→quiescente
- recent→recente
- recipient→recipiente
- referent→referente
- regent→reggente
- renitent→renitente
- repellent→repellente
- resident→residente
- resilient→resiliente
- reticent→reticente
- reverent→reverente
- salient→saliente
- sapient→sapiente
- serpent→serpenteLatin serpens ‘serpentem’
- solvent→solvente
- student→studenteLatin studēns ‘studentem’
- subcontinent→subcontinente
- sufficient→sufficienteLatin sufficiēns ‘sufficientem’
- superintendent→soprintendente
- tangent→tangente
- transient→transiente
- trident→tridenteLatin tridēns
- trivalent→trivalente
- tumescent→tumescente
- urgent→urgente
- violent→violente
Traps in this family
- incidente is not incident — it means accident. For “incident” say episodio.
FAQ
Do -ente adjectives ever end in -enta?
No. They are invariable in the singular, which means one fewer decision every time you use one.
Is la presidente correct?
Yes, and la presidentessa also exists. For most -ente nouns the article does the work.
Other Italian word keys
- Italian words that are spelled the same as English
122 verified words - Italian words ending in -zione (from English -tion)
202 verified words - Italian words ending in -tà (from English -ty)
306 verified words - Italian words ending in -ico (from English -ic)
231 verified words - Italian words ending in -ista (from English -ist)
114 verified words - Italian words ending in -nza (from English -nce)
158 verified words - Italian words ending in -ario (from English -ary)
72 verified words - Italian words ending in -ismo (from English -ism)
161 verified words - Italian words ending in -ale (from English -al)
239 verified words - Italian words with f where English writes ph
63 verified words - Italian words with -tt- where English writes -ct-
47 verified words