diabetic

1 of 2

adjective

di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbe-tik 

1

: of or relating to diabetes or diabetics

2

: affected with diabetes

3

: occurring in or caused by diabetes

diabetic coma

4

: suitable for diabetics

diabetic food

diabetic

2 of 2

noun

: a person affected with diabetes

Examples of diabetic in a Sentence

Adjective

new drugs for treating diabetic patients

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

One woman began sharing her diabetic mother’s Ozempic. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024

This is particularly concerning for seniors and patients in rural areas, who already face barriers to accessing timely treatment for conditions like diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma. —Lisa Abrams, Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 2024

Noun

All that extra sugar can make cranberry dishes hard to consume for Type 1 diabetics because the sugars cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. Cranberries Without Sugar? —Rosemary Trout, Discover Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024

These are scary statistics and now add on top of that the fact that healthcare costs for Type 2 diabetics are two and a half times the cost of treating someone without diabetes. —Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 7 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin diabēticus, from Late Latin diabētēs diabetes + -icus -ic entry 1

Noun

borrowed from Medieval Latin diabēticus, noun derivative of diabēticus diabetic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1763, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

diabetic

1 of 2 adjective

di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbet-ik 

: of, relating to, or having diabetes

a diabetic person

diabetic

2 of 2 noun

: a person who has diabetes

Medical Definition

diabetic

1 of 2 adjective

di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbet-ik 

1

: of or relating to diabetes or diabetics

2

: affected with diabetes

3

: occurring in or caused by diabetes

a diabetic coma

4

: suitable for diabetics

diabetic food

diabetic

2 of 2 noun

: a person affected with diabetes