insulin
noun
in·su·lin
ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən 
: a protein pancreatic hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans that is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of glucose levels in the blood and that when insufficiently produced results in diabetes mellitus
Examples of insulin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those with the condition do not create enough insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels—because their immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce it.
—
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Frequent blood sugar spikes force your body to release more insulin, and over time your cells stop responding to it — a process called insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The Texas woman accused of killing her husband with a fatal dose of insulin was convicted of murder.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
Scientists have been using it to produce everything from insulin to industrial enzymes for decades.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insulin
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Frequent blood sugar spikes force your body to release more insulin, and over time your cells stop responding to it — a process called insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The Texas woman accused of killing her husband with a fatal dose of insulin was convicted of murder.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
Scientists have been using it to produce everything from insulin to industrial enzymes for decades.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insulin
Cite this Entry
“Insulin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insulin. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insulin
noun
in·su·lin
ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən
: a hormone that is produced by the pancreas and is necessary for the normal use of glucose by the body
Medical Definition
insulin
noun
in·su·lin
ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən
: a protein hormone that is synthesized in the pancreas from proinsulin and secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, that is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, that regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into tissues, by promoting its conversion into glycogen, fatty acids, and triglycerides, and by reducing the release of glucose from the liver, and that when produced in insufficient quantities results in diabetes mellitus see iletin
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share