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Synonyms

itemize

American  
[ahy-tuh-mahyz] / ˈaɪ təˌmaɪz /
especially British, itemise

verb (used with object)

  • itemizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • itemized,
    past participle,  past
  • itemizing
    present participle
  1. to state by items; give the particulars of; list the individual units or parts of.

    to itemize an account.

  2. to list as an item or separate part.

    to itemize deductions on an income-tax return.


verb (used without object)

  • itemizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • itemized,
    past participle,  past
  • itemizing
    present participle
  1. to compute an income-tax return by listing separately all assets, credits, allowable deductions, losses, etc.

itemize British  
/ ˈaɪtəˌmaɪz /

verb

  1. (tr) to put on a list or make a list of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of itemize

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; item + -ize


Explanation

To itemize is to make a list. If you work at a store that sells pet fish, you might need to itemize your stock of fish — separately listing the number of goldfish, cuttlefish, and jellyfish. When you place items, or individual things, on a list, you itemize them. Though itemize is essentially a synonym for list, it is usually used for more formal situations and those related to budget. So itemize your tax deductions or your spending report, or even itemize the reactions of your chemistry experiment. But to itemize your complaints about your little brother is probably going overboard.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing itemize

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

She does not imaginatively describe scenes so much as itemize facts about them, so the reader encounters detailed lists of what things cost, what people are wearing, what they order from menus and so on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

People itemize charitable gifts if their total allowable itemized deductions — including donations to qualified charities, mortgage interest, and state and local taxes — exceed the standard deduction.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 11, 2026

This deduction applies whether or not you itemize.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026

They are available both to taxpayers who take the standard deduction and those who itemize their deductions.

From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026

When Deborah officially divorced Pullum in 2006, she had to itemize her income as part of a request for the judge to waive her filing fee.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

The lender owes tax on the interest, and the borrower often can deduct it if he or she itemizes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Further, regardless of whether one itemizes or uses the standard deduction, an additional $6,000 deduction is available to many taxpayers over 65.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

It identifies when we lift a product from a shelf, freezer or produce bin, automatically itemizes the goods and charges us when we leave the store.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2022

The deduction is known as an “above-the-line” deduction because it reduces the amount of income subject to tax regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes their deductions or chooses the standard deduction on their tax return.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2017

One of the most detailed such lists that has been preserved is one that itemizes the cargo sent in the ship, Supply, which left England in September, 1620, bound for Berkeley Hundred.

From The First Seventeen Years: Virginia 1607-1624 by Charles E. Hatch

She advises people to ask for itemized bills, look for errors and duplicated charges that can be corrected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Her top tips include: When you get a bill, don’t pay until you ask the hospital for an itemized bill.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

However, even if you got the vacation home in that manner, the interest may still not offset any of your RMD because eligible mortgage interest is an itemized deduction.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

It found meaningful differences between the advertised price and the actual, itemized quotes for nearly 40% of dealers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

We got an itemized bill each month for every food item and roll of toilet paper.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

The new deduction—$6,000 for individuals and $12,000 for couples filing jointly—can be used whether you are claiming the standard deduction or itemizing deductions, regardless of whether you are already taking Social Security payments.

From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026

This goes back to the hassle of itemizing donations.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 11, 2026

I’ve found myself calculating the social risk, itemizing what would work in our favor.

From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2026

Filers can get the targeted breaks even if they take the “standard” deduction rather than itemizing on Schedule A, and the standard deduction got a bump-up as well.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025

I first gave a general overview of my travels, itemizing the money we had received and the offers of training.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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