itemize

itemize is the environment for an unordered list — a bulleted list. You wrap entries in \begin{itemize} … \end{itemize} and start each one with \item. Instead of numbers you get a marker at the head of each line, and when you nest lists the marker changes automatically with the depth. This page covers the default markers, how to change them for one item or a whole level, nesting, and the spacing between items.

Basic usage

Inside an itemize environment, each entry starts with \item. Everything from one \item to the next (or to \end{itemize}) is the body of that entry; you may break lines and indent freely — LaTeX aligns the marker and the left indent for you. An entry can span more than one paragraph, but you cannot have body text without a leading \item: every entry must begin with one.

\begin{itemize}
  \item 牛乳
  \item 卵
  \item パン
\end{itemize}

This sets three entries, each with a solid bullet (•) at the head of the line. itemize is a standard LaTeX environment — no package required. When you want numbers, reach for enumerate; for a labelled definition list, use description.

Default markers and levels

itemize nests up to four levels deep, and the marker changes automatically with the level. By default level 1 is a solid bullet •, level 2 a bold en-dash –, level 3 an asterisk *, and level 4 a centered dot ·. Each marker is held in a command — \labelitemi, \labelitemii, \labelitemiii, and \labelitemiv respectively (the i / ii / iii / iv are Roman numerals naming the level).

Some document classes set different defaults, but the standard classes (article and friends) use the markers above. To change a marker itself, you redefine one of these commands with \renewcommand, as shown below.

Nesting lists

Put another itemize inside an entry and you get a nested list. The inner environment goes in the body of one of the outer \items, and the marker switches automatically with the depth (• → – → * → ·). Nesting beyond four levels raises a Too deeply nested error.

\begin{itemize}
  \item 果物
  \begin{itemize}
    \item りんご
    \item みかん
  \end{itemize}
  \item 野菜
\end{itemize}

Here “Fruit” and “Vegetables” are set at level 1 with the bullet •, while “Apple” and “Orange” below them are at level 2 with the en-dash –. Finer per-level tuning and changing the markers wholesale are covered further on the “Nested lists” page.

Changing the marker

To change the marker for a single entry, give a label in square brackets right after \item. For instance \item[$\star$] makes that entry’s marker a star, and \item[--] makes it a dash. By default such a bracketed label is set in bold and flush right against the body. This is handy when you want one entry — say, in a checklist — to stand out.

To change the marker for a whole level, redefine the corresponding label command with \renewcommand. Put it in the preamble, or just before the scope where you want it to take effect.

\renewcommand{\labelitemi}{$\diamond$}
\begin{itemize}
  \item この階層の記号は菱形になる
  \item 二つめの項目
\end{itemize}

Now the level-1 marker becomes a diamond (⋄). When you want fine control across many lists, the enumitem package is cleaner than hand-redefining commands. Load enumitem and you can set the marker with a label= option on the environment itself.

\usepackage{enumitem}
% ...
\begin{itemize}[label=$\star$]
  \item 星印のリスト
  \item 二つめの項目
\end{itemize}

Spacing and compact lists

A list’s vertical spacing is governed by a few lengths. \topsep is the space added above and below the list, \itemsep the space between entries, \parsep the space between paragraphs within one entry, and \partopsep an extra bit added when the list follows a paragraph. By default these carry a little stretch (rubber length) so the list blends into the page’s leading.

When you want a compact list with the air squeezed out, enumitem’s nosep option is the easy route. nosep zeroes \partopsep, \topsep, \itemsep, and \parsep together, removing all the vertical space around and between the entries.

\usepackage{enumitem}
% ...
\begin{itemize}[nosep]
  \item 詰まった項目その一
  \item 詰まった項目その二
  \item 詰まった項目その三
\end{itemize}

A worked example

Finally, an example that combines what we have seen. An outer itemize contains an inner one to make two levels, and one inner entry has its marker swapped to an arrow with \item[$\to$].

\begin{itemize}
  \item 準備するもの
  \begin{itemize}
    \item 小麦粉
    \item[$\to$] 砂糖（任意）
    \item 塩
  \end{itemize}
  \item 手順を確認する
\end{itemize}

In the output, “What to prepare” and “Review the steps” line up at level 1 with the bullet •. The inner list below is level 2, so its entries default to the en-dash – — except the “Sugar (optional)” line, where the bracketed arrow → is set bold and flush right, setting it apart from the other two. Controlling the marker and the spacing this freely, per entry and per level, is the flexibility itemize gives you.