Meaning
policeman, traffic cop, traffic warden
In a sentence
Il vigile ferma le auto davanti alla scuola.
The traffic cop stops cars in front of the school.
Hai visto il vigile in fondo alla strada?
Did you see the policeman at the end of the street?
I vigili non sono ancora arrivati qui.
The traffic wardens haven't arrived here yet.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| vigile | masculine · singular |
| vigili | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- In modern Italian, vigile alone often means a municipal officer; for national police, say poliziotto or agente.
- Very common in the plural: i vigili or i vigili urbani. Singular il vigile is fine but sounds more specific.
- Don't confuse vigile with the adjective vigile, meaning alert or watchful; context and article usually make it clear.