nutrition

noun nu·tri·tion \ nu̇-ˈtri-shən , nyu̇- \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of nutrition

1 : the act or process of nourishing or being nourished; specifically : the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances

foods that are necessary for human nutrition

2 : nourishment 1

… get adequate nutrition both before and during the race.
—John Hanc

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nutritional

play \nu̇-ˈtrish-nəl, -ˈtri-shə-nᵊl, nyu̇-\ adjective

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nutritionally

adverb

See nutrition defined for English-language learners

See nutrition defined for kids

Examples of nutrition in a Sentence

The speaker discussed diet and nutrition with the class.
good nutrition and proper exercise

Recent Examples of nutrition from the Web

Limited nutrition in agricultural populations may have been an important driver of this trend.

— Scientific American, "How Has the Human Brain Evolved?," 9 Apr. 2018
To get your crunch fix—and a whole lot more nutrition—stick with the real deal, like baby carrots, broccoli florets, sliced bell pepper, and cucumber, paired with hummus or guacamole for dipping.

— Health.com, "6 “Healthy” Snacks a Nutritionist Will Immediately Cut From Your Diet," 6 Apr. 2018
After earning a master’s in clinical nutrition at NYU and completing a residency at Mount Sinai, Lenchewski opened a private practice in New York City, then moved her office to L.A. in 2014.

— fiorella valdesolo, WSJ, "4 Wellness Experts on Their Favorite Cookbooks, Grooming Products and More," 5 Apr. 2018
Healthy babies tend to land in somewhat similar percentiles for both metrics and are probably getting enough nutrition.

— elissa strauss, CNN, "Growth charts for kids don't measure up," 4 Apr. 2018
Dairy is in the 23-year-old nutrition major’s blood.

— stan grossfeld, BostonGlobe.com, "Here’s how a dairy farmer from Vermont became an NCAA track champ," 2 Apr. 2018
Children learn the moral that perseverance prevails, and good nutrition and exercise are important in this show.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "events by county," 28 Mar. 2018
So our organs will just have to understand that nutrition is not always our first priority: comfort, instead, gets that distinction.

— raisa bruner, Time, "The 'My Organs Vs. Me' Meme Understands Your Struggle to Do Your Body Right," 21 Mar. 2018
Instead of focusing on a traditional metric of success like yield per acre, the company is interested in optimizing nutrition per acre.

— beth kowitt, Fortune, "A New Startup Wants to Grow More Nutritious Food," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nutrition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of nutrition

Middle English nutricioun, from Late Latin nutrition-, nutritio, from Latin nutrire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Physiology Terms

eructation, flux, gustatory, menarche, myopia, senescence, torpor

NUTRITION Defined for English Language Learners

nutrition

noun

Definition of nutrition for English Language Learners

: the process of eating the right kind of food so you can grow properly and be healthy

NUTRITION Defined for Kids

nutrition

noun nu·tri·tion \ nu̇-ˈtri-shən , nyu̇- \

Definition of nutrition for Students

: the act or process of nourishing or being nourished : the processes by which a living thing takes in and uses nutrients

Medical Dictionary

nutrition

noun nu·tri·tion \ n(y)u̇-ˈtrish-ən \

medical Definition of nutrition

1 : the act or process of nourishing or being nourished; specifically : the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances

2 : food 1, nourishment

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