nonnutritive
adjective
non·nu·tri·tive
ˌnän-ˈnü-trə-tiv 
-ˈnẏü-
: not of or relating to nutrition : not providing nourishment
nonnutritive sweeteners
pacifiers used for nonnutritive sucking
Examples of nonnutritive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pica, an eating disorder in which sufferers develop an appetite for nonnutritive substances such as paint and dirt, affects up to 30 percent of young children.
—
Leeaundra Keany, Discover Magazine, 7 Jan. 2010
In a new study of four sugar substitutes, researchers found that these nonnutritive sweeteners don’t just travel through the body unnoticed.
—Emily Willingham, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2022
To further complicate matters, ultraprocessed foods often contain a combination of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners that, Small says, produces surprising metabolic effects that result in a particularly potent reinforcement effect.
—Ellen Ruppel Shell, Scientific American, 25 Sep. 2019
But this new study suggests problems with the nonnutritive (aka artificial) sweeteners in diet drinks.
—David Becker, Philly.com, 12 Sep. 2017
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Leeaundra Keany, Discover Magazine, 7 Jan. 2010
In a new study of four sugar substitutes, researchers found that these nonnutritive sweeteners don’t just travel through the body unnoticed.
—Emily Willingham, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2022
To further complicate matters, ultraprocessed foods often contain a combination of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners that, Small says, produces surprising metabolic effects that result in a particularly potent reinforcement effect.
—Ellen Ruppel Shell, Scientific American, 25 Sep. 2019
But this new study suggests problems with the nonnutritive (aka artificial) sweeteners in diet drinks.
—David Becker, Philly.com, 12 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Nonnutritive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonnutritive. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
nonnutritive
adjective
non·nu·tri·tive
-ˈn(y)ü-trət-iv
: not relating to or providing nutrition
nonnutritive sweeteners
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