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retta

board; school fee

noun RET-tah Rare
People & Society Education

Origin: Latin recta (linea), 'straight line'

Also means

(geometry) straight line

Usage Note

Retta has two distinct uses that share a Latin root. In everyday Italian it most often means a boarding fee or tuition — la retta scolastica ('school fee'), la retta mensile ('monthly board'). In mathematics it denotes an infinite straight line, as opposed to segmento ('segment'). A third idiomatic use appears in dare retta a qualcuno ('to listen to someone / to pay heed'), which learners should memorize as a set phrase.

Examples

"La retta dell'asilo è aumentata quest'anno."

Natural Translation

The nursery fee has increased this year.

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