healthful

1 of 2

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

also ˈheltth-

1

: beneficial to health of body or mind

healthful living

2

: healthy

He felt incapable of looking into the girl's pretty, healthful face.

—Saul Bellow

healthfully adverb

healthfulness noun

healthfulness

2 of 2

noun

health·​ful·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being healthful

Synonyms of healthful

Adjective

• healthy
• good

Choose the Right Synonym for healthful

healthful, wholesome, salubrious, salutary mean favorable to the health of mind or body.

healthful implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition.

a healthful diet

wholesome applies to what benefits, builds up, or sustains physically, mentally, or spiritually.

wholesome foods

the movie is wholesome family entertainment

salubrious applies chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air.

cool and salubrious weather

salutary describes something corrective or beneficially effective, even though it may in itself be unpleasant.

a salutary warning that resulted in increased production

Examples of healthful in a Sentence

Adjective

The meal was both healthful and satisfying.

one of the most healthful forms of exercise is a brisk walk

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In the wrong hands, a salad is a vapid strategy for healthful eating. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 6 Aug. 2026

The center, which opened in 2023, provides three healthful meals a day, such as fish and chicken soup, which are seen as good for mothers’ milk production. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026

Food is creative and generally healthful, with plenty of veggie-forward options and lots of flavor. — Connie Ogle july 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Honey is the naturally sweet, healthful, old-as-time substance bees produce. — Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 26 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for healthful

• unhealthful

Video

Healthy vs. Healthful

Why both words are equally good for you.

Kids Definition

healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

1

: good for the health of the body or mind

healthful exercise

2

: healthy sense 1

healthfully

-fə-lē

adverb

healthfulness noun

Medical Definition

healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

: beneficial to health of body or mind

healthfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

healthfulness noun