educato

Educato is an Italian adjective and the past participle of the verb educare, meaning to educate or bring up. In modern usage it primarily describes someone who has received a good upbringing or who behaves in a polite and well-mannered manner. The term can refer to a person, their conduct, or a setting that reflects civility. It can also denote being educated in the sense of having learned, though this sense is more formal or literary than everyday.

Etymology and usage context: Educato derives from Latin educatus, the past participle of educare, itself from educere “to lead forth, bring up.” In Italian, the word agrees with the noun it modifies and has the forms educato (masculine singular), educata (feminine singular), educati (masculine plural), and educate (feminine plural).

Common usage and examples: "È una persona molto educata." (He/She is a very well-mannered person.) "Un ragazzo educato dice per favore." (A well-behaved boy says please.) As a verb form, it appears in compound tenses like "Ho educato mio fratello" (I educated my brother). The bare noun form "un educato" is rare; more typical is "una persona educata" or "un ragazzo educato."

Nuances and related terms: The word connotes civility and proper upbringing, distinct from or overlapping with cortese (courteous) and maniere (manners). Its negation is maleducato (rude or poorly mannered). Related concepts include educazione (education/upbringing) and educazione civica (civic education).

See also: Educazione, Educazione civica, Educazione formale.