salutary

adjective

sal·​u·​tary ˈsal-yə-ˌter-ē 

1

: producing a beneficial effect : remedial

salutary influences

2

: promoting health : curative

salutarily

ˌsal-yə-ˈter-ə-lē 

adverb

salutariness

ˈsal-yə-ˌter-ē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• beneficial
• favorable
• helpful
• good

Choose the Right Synonym for salutary

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 salutary in a Sentence

The accident should be a salutary lesson to be more careful.

the low interest rates should have a salutary effect on business

Recent Examples on the Web

And yet, the Spanish giants’ epic trip to the Kazakh capital is a salutary reminder that European football can, occasionally, still feel like a journey into the unknown. —Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Perhaps there’s something salutary about being thrown off-balance, the novel suggests. —Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025

Yet Xi probably sees such suffering among the high command as having a salutary effect. —Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025

Deep fakes may indeed have salutary uses in educational settings. —Daniel J. Feldman, The Conversation, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French salutaire, from Latin salutaris, from salut-, salus health

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for salutary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

salutary

adjective

sal·​u·​tary ˈsal-yə-ˌter-ē 

1

: producing a good result

2

: furthering good health

salutariness noun

Medical Definition

salutary

adjective

sal·​u·​tary ˈsal-yə-ˌter-ē 

: promoting health : curative