Nutritious

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /njuːˈtɹɪʃəs/

Definitions

1. Fostering physical health by delivering important nutrients essential for well-being
2. Offering vital substances that promote health and growth in living organisms
3. Containing elements necessary for maintaining good health and supporting bodily functions

Etymology: The Latin verb "nutrire" meant "to nourish, suckle, or feed," and its past participle "nutritus" gave rise to "nutritius," meaning "pertaining to nourishment." English borrowed the adjective directly from that Latin form, so "nutritious" is a learned borrowing rather than a word that came through French or everyday speech. The verb behind it has a notably physical root: "nutrire" was about feeding and rearing, especially the suckling of infants, and it sits in the same family as "nutrix," a nurse. Nutrition, nutrient and nourish all descend from that same stem, so the vocabulary of eating and raising children turned out to be one tightly knit group.

Synonyms: healthy, nutrient-rich, wholesome, beneficial, nourishing

Antonyms: unhealthy, harmful, nutrient-poor, detrimental, toxic