ritiene

Ritiene is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Italian verb ritenere, which means to deem, to believe, or to regard. The core sense is to hold an opinion or viewpoint about something or someone. In everyday and formal language, ritiene is commonly used to indicate a conclusion or belief attributed to a subject, as in “La commissione ritiene che i dati siano affidabili” (The commission believes the data are reliable).

Etymology and related forms: Ritenere derives from Latin retinēre, literally “to hold back/retain.” The verb has a wide range of uses, from expressing beliefs to evaluating or judging. Its past participle is ritenuto, and other present tense forms include ritengo (io), ritieni (tu), ritiene (egli/ella), riteniamo (noi), ritenete (voi), ritengono (essi). The form ritiene specifically appears in the third-person singular present and is frequently followed by a clause or the preposition di plus an infinitive, as in “ritiene di dover intervenire” (he thinks he must intervene).

Usage notes: Ritene is common in journalism, law, and formal writing, often signaling a stated conclusion by a subject. It can be substituted with synonyms such as crede, considera, or ritiene che to convey similar meaning, with nuance differences in formality and nuance. The verb is transitive and can govern direct objects or be used with di + infinitive to express a belief about a future or proposed action.

See also: ritenere, ritieni, ritiene, ritengono, ritenuto. The concept is closely related to judgment, belief, and assessment in Italian, and its usage reflects speaker stance and degree of certainty.