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

Hernández said her mother is diabetic and has a vascular condition, but is not receiving any medical care or medication while in the detention facility. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025

Inside, one of my colleagues, a bearded intensivist named Shiraz Saleem, was treating a teen-age girl with diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication of diabetes caused by a lack of insulin. —Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025

Noun

This can be helpful for diabetics suffering from gastroparesis, which is when your stomach emptying is delayed. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

That means that even when diagnosed, diabetics are among the least likely patients to follow medical advice and protocols or use medication. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025

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