Sottolineatura

Sottolineatura is the act of placing a line beneath text to emphasize or mark it as important. The term comes from sotto, meaning under, and linea, meaning line. In printing and handwriting, the underline serves as a visual cue to draw attention to a word or phrase.

Historically, underlining developed as a method of emphasis in manuscripts and early printed works, especially before italic typebecame common. It was used to highlight key terms, headings, or passages when other typographic options were limited. In modern typography, italics and bold are often preferred for emphasis, with underlining retained in some contexts such as handwriting, proofreading, or specific editorial practices.

In contemporary digital and publication contexts, underlining frequently has special connotations. On the web, underlined text is commonly associated with hyperlinks, which can create ambiguity if used for emphasis. For this reason many style guides recommend using italics or bold for emphasis in digital media and reserving underlining for links or specific editorial marks. In word processing and typesetting, underlining remains a basic feature, but it may affect legibility, particularly with long lines of text or certain fonts.

See also: corsivo, grassetto, lettm, testo sottolineato auditivo or proofreading marks, CSS text-decoration: underline, hyperlink convention.