When Should You Use Italics For Technical Terms?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

According to the American Psychological Assocation (2010), “do not use quotation marks . . . to introduce a technical or key term. Instead, italicize the term” (p. 91). Accordingly, you can use italics in your text when first introducing a new key term , but only italicize the word the first time it is introduced.

Should you italicize technical terms?

Use italics for the first case of a new or technical term , a key term, or a label.

When should you use italics?

Italics are used primarily to denote titles and names of particular works or objects in order to allow that title or name to stand out from the surrounding sentence. Italics may also be used for emphasis in writing, but only rarely.

What types of works should be italicized?

Titles of full works like books or newspapers should be italicized. Titles of short works like poems, articles, short stories, or chapters should be put in quotation marks. Titles of books that form a larger body of work may be put in quotation marks if the name of the book series is italicized.

Do italics emphasize a word?

Because writers using computers today have access to a wide variety of fonts and textual effects, they are no longer limited to underlining to show emphasis. Still, especially for academic writing, italics or underlining is the preferred way to emphasize words or phrases when necessary .

How do I type in italics?

To make your selected text italic or start writing text in italic, press the Ctrl + I keys on your keyboard . To make your selected text underlined or start writing underlined text, press the Ctrl + U keys on your keyboard.

Should I use bold or italics?

Bold text is used to describe strong, clear words. Italics can be used for giving certain emphasis on a particular word or phrase and it should be used sparingly. Don’t overuse italics as they will make your blog posts look cluttered, so only use them when you really need to stress something out.

What does italics mean in English?

When you italicize your writing, you print or type in the slanted letters called “italics.” You can italicize a word in a sentence when you want to emphasize it . People italicize for various reasons: they might italicize the title of a book, or a section of dialogue that’s yelled by a character in a story.

Why are words italicized in the Bible?

That is, the italics enable the reader to distinguish between words found in the manuscripts of the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament that actually translate into English , and words that were necessarily added to make sense in English.

What are italics examples?

Italics are typically used to show emphasis (For example: “ I don’t care what he thinks. I do what I want! ”) or to indicate titles of stand-alone works (Black Panther, Lost in Translation).

Are TV shows in quotes?

Titles of movies, television, and radio shows are italicized. A single episode is enclosed in quotation marks . 2. Formal names of broadcast channels and networks are capitalized.

What do I italicize in an essay?

Titles in Italics Titles Placed in “Quotation Marks” Title of a musical album or CD Title of a song Title of a long poem Title of a short poem

How do you show emphasis in text?

Emphasizing a Word in Text. Stick to italics or underlining in academic writing . In academic writing or professional writing, italics and underlining are usually the preferred means of emphasis.

How do you emphasize something?

If you need to emphasize a word or a particular fact in a sentence, you can use italics to stress it . That said, italics and other font changes lose their impact if overused. It is best to use such devices sparingly and rely on strong writing and strategic word placement to get your point across.

How can you show emphasis when you talk?

  1. Call It Out. ...
  2. Use Repetition. ...
  3. Talk Softly (aka Whisper) ...
  4. Slow Down Your Voice During The Point You Want To Emphasize. ...
  5. Instigate Intense Eye Contact With Your Audience. ...
  6. Stop Moving Around The Stage and Assume The Power Stance. ...
  7. Sit Down. ...
  8. Simplify Your Slides.

What does italic font look like?

An italic font is a cursive, slanted typeface . A font is a specific size, style, and weight of a typeface used in printing and writing. When we keyboard text, we typically use a roman font, where the text is upright. By comparison, an italic font is slightly slanted to the right.

Rebecca Patel
Author
Rebecca Patel
Rebecca is a beauty and style expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. She is a licensed esthetician and has worked with top brands in the beauty industry. Rebecca is passionate about helping people feel confident and beautiful in their own skin, and she uses her expertise to create informative and helpful content that educates readers on the latest trends and techniques in the beauty world.