nonnutritive

adjective

non·​nu·​tri·​tive ˌnän-ˈnü-trə-tiv How to pronounce nonnutritive (audio)
-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

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

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonnutritive was in 1768

Dictionary Entries Near nonnutritive

Cite this Entry

“Nonnutritive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonnutritive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

nonnutritive

adjective
non·​nu·​tri·​tive -ˈn(y)ü-trət-iv How to pronounce nonnutritive (audio)
: not relating to or providing nutrition
nonnutritive sweeteners

More from Merriam-Webster on nonnutritive

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