diet

1 of 4

noun (1)

di·​et ˈdī-ət 

1

a

: food and drink regularly provided or consumed

a diet of fruits and vegetables

a vegetarian diet

b

: habitual nourishment

links between diet and disease

c

: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason

was put on a low-sodium diet

d

: a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight

going on a diet

2

: something provided or experienced repeatedly

Their imaginations feverish from a diet of detective novels …

—The New Yorker

heard a steady diet of excuses

diet

2 of 4

verb

dieted; dieting; diets

transitive verb

1

: to cause to take food : feed

2

: to cause to eat and drink sparingly or according to prescribed rules

intransitive verb

: to eat sparingly or according to prescribed rules

has been dieting for two months

dieter noun

diet

3 of 4

adjective

1

: reduced in or free from calories

a diet soft drink

2

: promoting weight loss (as by depressing appetite)

diet pills

diet

4 of 4

noun (2)

1

: a formal deliberative assembly of princes or estates

2

: any of various national or provincial legislatures

Did you know?

The word diet first appeared in English in the 13th century. Its original meaning was the same as in modern English, “habitually taken food and drink.” But diet was used in another sense too in the Middle and early modern English periods to mean “way of living.” This is, in fact, the original meaning of diet’s Greek ancestor diaita, which is derived from the verb diaitasthan, meaning “to lead one’s life.” In Greek, diaita, had already come to be used more specifically for a way of living prescribed by a physician, a diet, or other regimen.

Examples of diet in a Sentence

Verb

I've been dieting for two months.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Parents who remove synthetic colors like Red 40 from their kids’ diets call it transformative, but the FDA has said dyes don't affect most children. —Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023

Researchers also used a questionnaire to determine the nurses’ lifestyle in six areas: alcohol use, body mass index (BMI), physical activity levels, smoking status, sleep duration, and diet. —Julia Landwehr, Health, 12 Sep. 2023

Refined Carbohydrates White flour and sugars are acceptable in moderation, yet pervasive in the SAD (standard American diet). —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2023

The authors explain that BMI, physical activity levels, and diet significantly contributed to the relationship between night owls and diabetes risk. —Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 11 Sep. 2023

Nuts belong to the protein food group and may act as a key protein component in vegetarian diets. —Delaney Nothaft, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023

Jump ahead: The finances The diet The expenses The diary The finances What are your pronouns? —Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 8 Sep. 2023

Their audiences are likely smaller and more disparate than the ones that come to mainstream news outlets, but in an era of cord-cutting, their niche power is not to be dismissed. Americans have made podcasts a bigger share of their media diet over the last decade. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023

Her suggestion is similar, though: Adopt a balanced, nutritious diet and regularly exercise. —Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 31 Aug. 2023

Verb

Can Help With Weight Loss One study found that males with obesity who dieted continuously for 16 weeks lost less weight overall—20 pounds versus 31—than those whose diets followed a two-weeks-on/two-weeks-off cycle for 30 weeks. —Amanda MacMillan, Health, 11 May 2023

Scientists are still working to understand the mechanisms, but research has shown that people who have lost weight burn fewer calories than people who never dieted. —Melissa Matthews, Men's Health, 10 Aug. 2023

The obesity medications help overcome a biological mechanism that kicks in when people diet, triggering a coordinated effort by the body to prevent weight loss. —Jonel Aleccia, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2023

Cronkite News Service Chita Gastelum, an immigrant who identifies as Indigenous and Latino, remembers coming to the U.S. and growing up with the American pressure to diet. —Samia Salahi, The Arizona Republic, 8 June 2023

This phentermine over-the-counter replacement is most effective for people who already diet and exercise or are starting a routine and need a pick-me-up. —Dallas News, 21 July 2022

California lawmakers are targeting social media with a bill prohibiting social media platforms from having algorithms or features that expose children to diet products or lead them to develop an eating disorder. —Jesse Bedayn, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2023

January is to diet culture as November is to pumpkin-spiced beverages. —New York Times, 27 Jan. 2022

Likewise, people with bigger bodies shouldn’t feel pressure to diet endlessly—or take any measure to change themselves—if that’s what works best for them. —Amelia Harnish, Women's Health, 27 Jan. 2023

Adjective

Still, we’ve been conditioned to see self-improvement as being about appearance, as opposed to focusing on what truly impacts our well-being, such as social connection, adequate sleep, and learning new hobbies or skills, says non-diet nutritionist and body image coach Abbie Attwood. —Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 11 Jan. 2023

Even the non-diet approach, which prioritizes relying on hunger and fullness cues to tell you when and how much to eat, may not work for athletes without some modifications. —Christine Byrne, Outside Online, 20 Mar. 2022

In response, anti-diet nutritionists, therapists, and activists have taken to social media to point out that a too tight grip on your eating habits can cause anxiety and unhealthy patterns that leave you frustrated and physically uncomfortable. —Christine Byrne, Outside Online, 22 Jan. 2021

Black and Hispanic youth, who have higher rates of sugary drink consumption than non-Hispanic White youth, were often the primary targets of advertising campaigns, the study found, especially for regular non-diet soda, sports and energy drinks. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 23 June 2020

Three other members of the group that issued the Endocrine Society guidelines received at least $50,000 combined from diet drug-makers for the same type of work during that time period, according to the Open Payments website. —Coulter Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2015

Coker Ross, a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, serves as the CEO of the AnchorProgram, a non-diet online program for individuals with binge eating disorder, emotional eating and food addiction. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2022

By the end of the hours-long meeting, skepticism remained for the anti-diet crowd. —Jay R. Jordan, Chron, 24 Feb. 2022

Intuitive eating is a ‘non-diet’ approach to a healthier relationship with food. —courant.com, 6 Jan. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb, and Adjective

Middle English diete, from Anglo-French, from Latin diaeta, from Greek diaita, literally, manner of living, from diaitasthai to lead one's life

Noun (2)

Middle English diete day's journey, day set for a meeting, from Medieval Latin dieta, literally, daily regimen, diet (taken as a derivative of Latin dies day), from Latin diaeta — see diet entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing diet

• caveman diet
• keto diet
• paleo diet
• on a diet
• crash diet
• Stone Age diet
• paleolithic diet
• starvation diet
• staple diet
• ketogenic diet
• Mediterranean diet

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• caveman diet
• keto diet
• paleo diet
• on a diet
• crash diet
• Stone Age diet
• paleolithic diet
• starvation diet
• staple diet
• ketogenic diet
• Mediterranean diet

See More

Kids Definition

diet

1 of 4 noun

di·​et ˈdī-ət 

1

a

: the food and drink that a person, animal, or group usually takes

many birds live on a diet of insects

b

: the kind and amount of food selected for a person or animal for a special reason (as improving health)

a high-protein diet

c

: a plan of eating and drinking less than usual so as to reduce one's weight

going on a diet

2

: something experienced repeatedly

a steady diet of television

diet

2 of 4 verb

: to eat or cause to eat less or according to special rules

diet

3 of 4 adjective

: reduced in calories

a diet soft drink

diet

4 of 4 noun

: a body of lawmakers : legislature

Etymology

Noun

Middle English diete "regular food, diet," from early French diete (same meaning), derived from Greek diaita, literally, "manner of living"

Noun

Middle English diete "day's journey, day set for a meeting," from Latin dieta, literally, "daily regimen, diet" (associated with Latin dies "day"), derived from Greek diaita

Medical Definition

diet

1 of 3 noun

di·​et ˈdī-ət 

1

: food and drink regularly provided or consumed

2

: habitual nourishment

3

: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason

4

: a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight

going on a diet

diet

2 of 3 transitive verb

1

: to cause to take food

2

: to cause to eat and drink sparingly or according to prescribed rules

intransitive verb

: to eat sparingly or according to prescribed rules

diet

3 of 3 adjective

1

: reduced in calories or without calories

a diet soft drink

2

: promoting weight loss (as by depressing appetite)

diet pills