Etymologically
Log in

riuscita

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Italian word riuscita

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
before 1348, Giovanni Villani
Ultimate origin
Latin exeō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin exeo
Italian uscire
Italian riuscire
French réussir
Italian riuscita
Italian uscita

Pronunciation

  • /ri.uʃˈʃi.ta/[1]

Forms

riuscita f (plural riuscite)[1]

Etymology

It is from Italian riuscire + -ita, the feminine of the past participle used as a noun.[2][3][4][1] Zingarelli and Gabrielli take it from the adjective riuscito.[5][6] The verb riuscire is uscire with the prefix ri-, iterative or intensive; it first meant “to come out, to end up” and then “to end well, to succeed”.[7][8] That verb is Latin exeō (“to go out”), with its first vowel taken from uscio (“door”).[7][8]

French réussir was borrowed from the Italian verb, and French réussite from the noun, first in the sense “result” (1583) and then “success” (1639).[8][9] Romanian reușită was borrowed in turn.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in the chronicle of Giovanni Villani (before 1348), in the sense “the way a thing turns out”: “Piaccia a Dio che sia con buona riuscita la loro signoria” (“May it please God that their rule turn out well”).[7][10] GRADIT dates the word before 1384.[2]

Semantic evolution

Boccaccio uses it for the end of a story, which may come to a splendid riuscita after many miseries.[10][4] The sense “a good showing, a proof of one's ability” is in Paolo Giovio, before 1552, and the LEI records it from about 1550 in Vasari.[7][11] People could make a good or a bad riuscita, turn out well or badly: Berni warns his friend that his way of life will lead to a sad one.[10]

The sense “outlet, exit” of old texts is now rare.[2][5][3] In 1877 Fanfani and Arlìa condemned non riuscita “failure” as a wrong and graceless usage.[7] Today the word is also used of how well a product wears.[2][12]

Timeline

  • Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses riuscita “outcome”.[7]
  • c. 1550 – Vasari uses it for a proof of one's abilities.[11]
  • Before 1552 – Paolo Giovio uses it for “a good showing”.[7]
  • 1583 – French réussite “result” is recorded.[9]
  • 1639 – French réussite “success” is recorded.[9]
  • 1877 – Fanfani and Arlìa condemn non riuscita.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The outcome of an action or event, especially a good one: Tutti lavorano per la riuscita della mostra.[2][12][3]
  2. Personal success: Ha fatto un'ottima riuscita come medico.[2][12][4]
  3. How well a product performs or lasts: Questa giacca ha fatto una buona riuscita.[2][12][4]
  4. (rare) An outlet, an exit.[2][12][3]
  5. (obsolete) Conclusion.[2][5]

Usage notes

Riuscita is also the feminine past participle of riuscire (la torta è riuscita bene).[13][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  3. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  5. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  6. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  8. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  9. ^ a b c Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
  10. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  11. ^ a b Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 22, 291
  12. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  13. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
Cite this entry

“Riuscita.” Etymologically, 22 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/it/riuscita. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·