diabetic

1 of 2

adjective

di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbe-tik 

1

: of or relating to diabetes or diabetics

2

: affected with diabetes

3

: occurring in or caused by diabetes

diabetic coma

4

: suitable for diabetics

diabetic food

diabetic

2 of 2

noun

: a person affected with diabetes

Examples of diabetic in a Sentence

Adjective

new drugs for treating diabetic patients

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Shaheen quickly joined her cause after getting elected to Congress; the issue is very personal to her, with a diabetic granddaughter. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Those most at risk to the heat included people over 60 years old, under 12 years old, or those pregnant, diabetic, having a heart condition. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026

Noun

King and his wife, Sheila, a Type 1 diabetic, launched The King of the Hill Foundation in 2024 to raise awareness for the disease. —Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

For diabetics, insulin is typically administered via injection, but the pill would offer a non-invasive treatment option. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin diabēticus, from Late Latin diabētēs diabetes + -icus -ic entry 1

Noun

borrowed from Medieval Latin diabēticus, noun derivative of diabēticus diabetic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1763, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for diabetic

• alphabetic
• anaesthetic
• anesthetic
• antithetic
• apathetic
• arithmetic
• cybernetic
• dietetic
• diuretic
• empathetic
• energetic
• geodetic

Kids Definition

diabetic

1 of 2 adjective

di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbet-ik 

: of, relating to, or having diabetes

a diabetic person

diabetic

2 of 2 noun

: a person who has diabetes

Medical Definition

diabetic

1 of 2 adjective

di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbet-ik 

1

: of or relating to diabetes or diabetics

2

: affected with diabetes

3

: occurring in or caused by diabetes

a diabetic coma

4

: suitable for diabetics

diabetic food

diabetic

2 of 2 noun

: a person affected with diabetes