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healthful
adjective
health·ful
ˈhelth-fəl
also ˈheltth-
1
: beneficial to health of body or mind
2
: healthy
he felt incapable of looking into the girl's pretty, healthful face—Saul Bellow
healthfully
adverb
healthfulness
noun
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for healthful
healthful, wholesome, salubrious, salutary mean favorable to the health of mind or body.
healthful implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition.
a healthful diet
wholesome applies to what benefits, builds up, or sustains physically, mentally, or spiritually.
wholesome foods
the movie is wholesome family entertainment
salubrious applies chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air.
cool and salubrious weather
salutary describes something corrective or beneficially effective, even though it may in itself be unpleasant.
a salutary warning that resulted in increased production
Examples of healthful in a Sentence
The meal was both healthful and satisfying.
one of the most healthful forms of exercise is a brisk walk
Recent Examples on the Web
Homemade desserts can be a great holiday gift, but for people trying to maintain their weight and eat healthful foods, those gifts may not be a blessing.
—Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 7 Dec. 2024
Kennedy's focus on healthful foods drew some praise from other senators.
—Peter Sullivan, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
Consumers and farmers who want to be part of a more healthful future may wonder about alternatives to intensive animal farming.
—Seema Policepatil, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
Unfortunately, healthful eaters are a tiny minority in this country, as our diets focus mainly on ultra-processed garbage that is anything but healthful.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 31 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of healthful was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near healthful
Cite this Entry
“Healthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/healthful. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
healthful
adjective
health·ful
ˈhelth-fəl
1
: good for the health of the body or mind
healthful exercise
2
healthfully
adverb
-fə-lē
healthfulness
noun
Medical Definition
healthful
adjective
health·ful
ˈhelth-fəl
: beneficial to health of body or mind
healthfulness
noun
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