lite

1 of 2

adjective

ˈlīt 

1

: light entry 4 sense 9a

lite beer

lite salad dressing

2

: diminished or lacking in substance or seriousness

lite news

specifically : being an innocuous or unthreatening version

—often used postpositively

… it is film noir lite.

—James Greenberg

-lite

2 of 2

noun combining form

: mineral

cryolite

: rock

aerolite

: fossil

stromatolite

Examples of lite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Painting your nails and toes with one of these rich, lite-goth colors is the beauty equivalent of turning off the air conditioning and ordering a pumpkin spice latte. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026

Cabral’s menu also includes lite bites, such as pissaladière and oeufs mayo with bottarga, which diners can enjoy with a cocktail on the terrace or at the bar. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 18 June 2026

And the Sabres are basically rocking the lite version of that, with Benson and Doan. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 14 May 2026

Those interested in home cooking may want to sign up for learning The Art of Pickling with Chef Lex at Haberdish, a $47 class including lite bites for snacking, two 32-ounce glass jars of custom pickles and take-home recipe cards. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun combining form

borrowed from French, respelling of earlier -lithe, borrowed from Greek líthos "stone, rock," of obscure origin

Note: As pointed out by the Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, the acceptability of the non-classical spelling -lite for -lithe or -lith may have been advanced by the long-established word chrysolite.

First Known Use

Adjective

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lite

• bight
• bite
• blight
• byte
• cite
• dight
• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite

Medical Definition

lite

variant of light entry 2