uomini

Uomini is the plural form of uomo in Italian, meaning men. The singular is uomo. The word derives from Latin homo, hominis, and Italian preserves the root with an irregular plural ending -ni, producing uomini. It is a masculine noun and is widely used in everyday language to refer to adult male humans.

In grammar, the definite article used with this noun is gli, yielding gli uomini (the men). Indefinite or partitive senses use phrases such as alcuni uomini (some men) or degli uomini (some of the men, or part of the men). The feminine equivalent is donne (women). The corresponding singular form is un uomo (a man). The plural form appears in many fixed expressions, such as uomini di scienza (men of science) or uomini di chiesa (men of the church), where a descriptive noun accompanies the base term.

Usage and nuance: besides referring specifically to males, uomini can function in a broader sense in historical or literary Italian to denote human beings or humanity, though this generic usage is often replaced today by esseri umani or l’umanità in contemporary prose. In everyday Italian, specifying gender with uomini is common when the intended reference is to men, whereas when speaking of people in a general or collective sense, speakers may opt for esseri umani or population terms.

See also: Italian grammar, Homo (Latin).