Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| incursione | /in.kurˈsjo.ne/ | feminine |
| razzia | /ratˈt͡si.a/ | feminine |
| irruzione | /ir.rutˈt͡sjo.ne/ | feminine |
| attacco | /atˈtak.ko/ | masculine |
The term raid refers to an attack carried out to make arrests, seize property or plunder.
Which one should you use?
While incursione is a general term for a raid or incursion, specifically describing a quick, sudden strike and subsequent withdrawal, other words provide more nuance. Razzia is used specifically when the raid is intended to loot, plunder or seize property and supplies. Irruzione is used when the raid focuses on the act of breaking into a place suddenly and forcefully, such as a police raid on a building.
How does it change in a sentence?
Irruzione is a feminine singular noun and requires feminine articles and adjectives. Attacco is a masculine singular noun and requires masculine articles and adjectives. Incursione and razzia are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word incursione is pronounced /in.kurˈsjo.ne/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word razzia arrived in Italian via French from the Algerian Arabic word ḡaziya.
- The word attacco is used for both a military 'attack' and a sudden 'heart attack' in Italian.
- An incursione can be used metaphorically in sports to describe a player venturing deep into the opponent's half of the field.
Examples in context
- L'incursione delle forze speciali è stata un grande successo.The special forces raid was a great success.
- I ladri hanno fatto una rapina nella gioielleria del centro commerciale.The thieves carried out a raid on the jewelry store in the mall.
- La squadra di calcio ha eseguito un assalto implacabile alla difesa avversaria.The soccer team made a relentless raid on the opposing defense.
- L'incursione è stata molto veloce.The raid was very fast.
- Hanno pianificato l'incursione per l'alba.They planned the raid for dawn.
- L'incursione ha causato molti danni.The raid caused a lot of damage.
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are discussing a news report about a police action.
- GiuliaHai sentito della recente incursione?Did you hear about the recent raid?
- FrancescoSì, è stata trasmessa al telegiornale.Yes, it was broadcast on the news.
- GiuliaFrancesco, l'incursione sembrava molto coordinata.Francesco, the raid seemed very coordinated.
- FrancescoSì, la polizia è stata molto precisa.Yes, the police were very precise.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “raid” translations and entries incursione, razzia, irruzione, attacco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries attacco, incursione, irruzione, razzia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
