diet

1 of 4

noun (1)

di·​et ˈdī-ət How to pronounce diet (audio)
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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of diet was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near diet

Cite this Entry

“Diet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diet. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

diet

1 of 4 noun
di·​et ˈdī-ət How to pronounce diet (audio)
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 How to pronounce diet (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!