salubrious

adjective

sa·​lu·​bri·​ous sə-ˈlü-brē-əs How to pronounce salubrious (audio)
: favorable to or promoting health or well-being
salubrious habits
salubriously adverb
salubriousness noun
salubrity noun

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Salubrious and its synonyms healthful and wholesome all mean favorable to the health of mind or body. Healthful implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition (as in Charles Dickens' advice to "take more healthful exercise"). Wholesome applies to something that benefits you, builds you up, or sustains you physically, mentally, or spiritually. Louisa May Alcott used this sense in Little Women: "Work is wholesome.... It keeps us from ennui and mischief, is good for health and spirits, and gives us a sense of power and independence...." Salubrious is used similarly to both words but tends to apply chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air.

Choose the Right Synonym for salubrious

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 salubrious in a Sentence

fresh air and exercise are always salubrious
Recent Examples on the Web Friday also, in its salubrious dryness and absence of menacing clouds, freed us from fear of rain so fully as to encourage worry about drought. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 May 2023 The two candidates to emerge from February’s nonpartisan primary, Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas, are both Democrats but offer a genuine if not necessarily salubrious choice. Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 31 Mar. 2023 Where to Stay Hotels near train stations are not always the most salubrious but 25 Hours Hotel is certainly an exception. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023 Last year, many scientists beclowned themselves by bowing to the prevailing political pieties with their absurd assertion that taking part in protests on behalf of Black Lives Matter was literally salubrious, whereas taking part in protests against lockdowns was lethally reckless. Gerard Baker, WSJ, 7 June 2021 Walking with others is even more salubrious, as Helfand knows firsthand. Holly Haber, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023 The effects of these reforms could be salubrious. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2021 There has been loads of research on the benefits for mind and body of spending time in nature; even just observing nature around oneself has been proven to be salubrious. Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 25 Feb. 2023 Nestled in the bountiful Bolognese hills of Emilia Romagna, the five-star country palazzo resort of Palazzo di Varignana unveiled six salubrious new villas this month. Teddy Minford, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salubrious.' 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

Latin salubris; akin to salvus safe, healthy — more at safe

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of salubrious was in 1547

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Dictionary Entries Near salubrious

Cite this Entry

“Salubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salubrious. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

salubrious

adjective
sa·​lu·​bri·​ous sə-ˈlü-brē-əs How to pronounce salubrious (audio)
: favorable to health
salubriously adverb
salubriousness noun

Medical Definition

salubrious

adjective
sa·​lu·​bri·​ous sə-ˈlü-brē-əs How to pronounce salubrious (audio)
: favorable to or promoting health or well-being
a salubrious climate
salubriousness noun
salubrity noun
plural salubrities

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