indentare

Indentare is an Italian verb that means to create an indentation. In writing and typography, it refers to adding extra horizontal space at the beginning of a line or block of text to delineate structure or separate sections.

In traditional typography, indentation marks the start of a new paragraph when there is no extra vertical space between paragraphs. It is also used to set off quotations, lists, or block elements, and can be combined with hanging indents in bibliographies.

In computing and digital editing, indentation serves as a visual aid to readability. In programming languages such as Python, indentation is semantically significant, defining blocks of code. In many other languages, indentation is ignored by the compiler but remains a widespread convention for humans.

Common practices vary by medium: printed prose often uses a first-line indent of a few millimeters to about half an inch; web and document templates may prefer indentation via styles rather than physical spaces. When formatting code, developers choose consistent spaces or tabs to represent indentation levels.

Proper indentation enhances clarity and accessibility, but overuse or inconsistent patterns can hinder readability, especially for assistive technologies or readers with dyslexia.