Italian words ending in -ista (from English -ist)
People in English -ist become Italian -ista: artist → artista, dentist → dentista, tourist → turista. The singular ignores gender entirely; the plural suddenly cares.
How the rule works
- Singular is common-gender: l'artista for anyone.
- Plural splits: gli artisti (masculine or mixed), le artiste (feminine).
- It pairs with -ismo: turismo the activity, turista the person.
- Stress sits on the -i-: ar-TI-sta.
Start with these
- artist → artista
- racist → razzista
- journalist → giornalista
- terrorist → terrorista
- communist → comunista
- specialist → specialista
Every verified word in this family (114)
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.
- activist→attivistaLatin āctīvus
- agonist→agonista
- alchemist→alchimista
- alpinist→alpinista
- altruist→altruista
- animalist→animalista
- animist→animista
- antagonist→antagonistaLatin antagonista
- antifascist→antifascista
- arabist→arabista
- artist→artistaLatin ars ‘artem’
- bioterrorist→bioterrorista
- buddhist→buddhista
- capitalist→capitalista
- cartoonist→vignettista
- catechist→catechista
- centrist→centristaLatin centrum
- ceramist→ceramista
- clarinettist→clarinettista
- columnist→colonnista
- communist→comunistaFrench communiste
- cyclist→ciclista
- dadaist→dadaista
- darwinist→darwinista
- dentist→dentistaLatin dēns ‘dentem’
- determinist→determinista
- documentarist→documentarista
- economist→economistaLatin oeconomia
- ecoterrorist→ecoterrorista
- egoist→egoista
- egotist→egotista
- equilibrist→equilibrista
- evangelist→evangelista
- falangist→falangista
- fascist→fascista
- fatalist→fatalista
- feminist→femminista
- finalist→finalistaLatin fīnis ‘end; boundary, limit’
- flautist→flautista
- formalist→formalista
- fundamentalist→fondamentalista
- guitarist→chitarristaLatin cithara
- humanist→umanistaLatin hūmānus
- idealist→idealista
- illusionist→illusionista
- imperialist→imperialista
- individualist→individualista
- islamist→islamista
- journalist→giornalistaLatin diurnālis
- leninist→leninista
- linguist→linguista
- lobbyist→lobbistaEnglish lobby
- loyalist→lealista
- maoist→maoista
- materialist→materialista
- militarist→militarista
- minimalist→minimalista
- modernist→modernista
- monopolist→monopolista
- moralist→moralista
- motorist→automobilistaLatin mōbilis
- narcissist→narcisista
- nationalist→nazionalista
- naturalist→naturalista
- naturist→naturista
- neorealist→neorealista
- nepotist→nepotista
- oboist→oboista
- oculist→oculista
- onanist→onanista
- opportunist→opportunista
- organist→organista
- orientalist→orientalista
- pacifist→pacifistaFrench pacifiste
- papist→papista
- paternalist→paternalista
- pessimist→pessimista
- pharmacist→farmacista
- pianist→pianistaLatin plānus
- pluralist→pluralista
- populist→populista
- positivist→positivista
- pragmatist→pragmatista
- propagandist→propagandista
- protagonist→protagonista
- publicist→pubblicista
- purist→purista
- racist→razzistaLatin raia, from ratiō
- realist→realista
- relativist→relativista
- sacrist→sacrista
- sadomasochist→sadomasochista
- satanist→satanista
- sexist→sessista
- shintoist→shintoista
- socialist→socialista
- solipsist→solipsista
- soloist→solistaLatin sōlum
- specialist→specialista
- spiritist→spiritista
- spiritualist→spiritualista
- stalinist→stalinista
- statist→statista
- suprematist→suprematista
- surrealist→surrealista
- taoist→taoista
- terrorist→terrorista
- timpanist→timpanista
- tourist→turistaEnglish tourist
- trappist→trappista
- universalist→universalista
- urbanist→urbanista
- violinist→violinistaLatin viola
- violoncellist→violoncellista
FAQ
Is artista masculine or feminine?
Either, in the singular — the article decides. Only the plural forces a choice between -isti and -iste.
Do these words work as adjectives too?
Many do, following the same invariable-singular pattern: un movimento realista, una pittura realista.
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72 verified words - Italian words ending in -ismo (from English -ism)
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47 verified words