terziario

tertiary

adjective ter-TSYAH-ryoh Rare

Origin: Latin tertiarius, from tertius (third).

Also means

service-sector

Usage Note

Terziario most commonly appears in economics as il settore terziario (the service sector, the third economic sector after agriculture and industry). In geology it refers to the Tertiary period. The noun il terziario can stand alone to mean the service economy.

Examples

"Il settore terziario è in crescita."

Natural Translation

The service sector is growing.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Essere vs Avere: Italian Past Tense Made Simple

In the passato prossimo, use avere for most verbs and essere for movement, change, and reflexives — plus the agreement trap English speakers always miss.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

C'è vs Ci Sono: There Is/Are in Italian

C'è for one thing, ci sono for many — that's the rule. Master Italian's there is/there are with c'era, ci sarà, è vs c'è, and non c'è nessuno.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Diminutives: -ino, -etto, -one Explained

Italian diminutives like -ino, -etto, and -one signal size, affection, or contempt. Learn to read the feeling, dodge gender flips, and spot false diminutives.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 min read