il live

Definition & meaning

Live is an English borrowing used in Italian to mean live, in real time, or performed in front of an audience.

• For a broadcast, it means that events are being transmitted as they happen.
• For music or entertainment, it describes a performance given before an audience rather than recorded in a studio.
• As a noun, it can refer to a live performance, recording, or online broadcast.

Grammar & Word origin

Live is invariable: its form does not change for gender or number. It can function as an adjective, adverb, or masculine noun.

It comes from English live, meaning “performed or broadcast as it happens.” It has no separate Italian word parts.

Synonyms & antonyms

• dal vivo ↗ — “live” or “in person”; a common Italian equivalent, especially for performances.
• in diretta ↗ — “live” or “on air”; used especially for broadcasts.
• registrato ↗ — “recorded”; an antonym when contrasting a recording with a live broadcast or performance.

Common phrases & collocations

• concerto live ↗ — a live concert.
• musica live ↗ — live music.
• andare live ↗ — to go live, especially online.
• un live ↗ — a live performance or broadcast.