aspartame

noun

as·par·tame | \ ˈas-pər-ˌtām

, ə-ˈspär-ˌtām

Definition of aspartame

: a crystalline compound C₁₄H₁₈N₂O₅ that is a diamide synthesized from phenylalanine and aspartic acid and that is used as a low-calorie sweetener

Examples of aspartame in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The side effects of artificial and all-natural replacements like stevia, Truvia, Splenda, and, yes, aspartame are often questionable, and so the pursuit of that perfect sugarless dream continues. — Jean Nick, Good Housekeeping, "How Safe Is The Newest "Natural" Sugar Substitute?," 16 Sep. 2015 And even the most organic of eaters can sometimes reach for conventional breath mints in the name of fast freshness—ending up with a mouthful of artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharin. — Kris Rile, Good Housekeeping, "7 Best Breath Mints That Aren't Packed With Chemicals," 12 July 2017 Researchers fed groups of rats diets high in sugar or artificial sweeteners including aspartame and acesulfame potassium. — Brett Molina, USA TODAY, "Artificial sweeteners can still lead to obesity and diabetes, study claims," 23 Apr. 2018 Also called nonnutritive sweeteners, these can be synthetic, such as saccharin and aspartame, or naturally derived, such as stevia. — Eunice Zhang, Washington Post, "Diet drinks may seem like a good idea, but their effects may surprise you," 3 June 2018 One animal study showed that artificial sweeteners saccharin, sucralose and aspartame appeared to spike blood sugar more than regular sugar. — Molly Kimball, NOLA.com, "Cutting back on sugar? A guide to sweetener choices," 8 May 2018 Animal studies have linked aspartame to higher risk of several types of cancer, including lymphoma and leukemia. — Molly Kimball, NOLA.com, "Cutting back on sugar? A guide to sweetener choices," 8 May 2018 The four new versions contain aspartame and acesulfame K, like Coca-Cola Zero Sugar does. — Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY, "Diet Coke sales bubble up again, thanks to 4 new Millennial-centric flavors," 24 Apr. 2018 The original Diet Coke is sweetened with aspartame. — Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY, "Diet Coke sales bubble up again, thanks to 4 new Millennial-centric flavors," 24 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aspartame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of aspartame was in 1972

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aspartame

noun

as·par·tame | \ ˈas-pər-ˌtām

, ə-ˈspär-

Medical Definition of aspartame

: a crystalline dipeptide ester C₁₄H₁₈N₂O₅ that is synthesized from the amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid and is used as a low-calorie sweetener — see nutrasweet