healthy, healthful, salutary
- healthy, healthful, salutary
Some authorities maintain that healthy should apply only to those things that possess health and healthful to those that promote it. Thus we would have "healthy children" but "healthful food" and "healthful exercise." There is no harm in observing the distinction, but also little to be gained from insisting on it. If we are to become resolute, it would be better to focus on healthy in the sense of big or vigorous, as in "a healthy wage increase," which is both inexact and overworked.
Salutary has a wider meaning than either of the other words. It too means conducive to health, but it can also apply to anything that is demonstrably beneficial ("a salutary lesson in etiquette").
Dictionary of troublesome word.
Bill Bryson.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
healthy, healthful, salutary — Some authorities maintain that healthy should apply only to those things that possess health and healthful to those that promote it. Thus we would have healthy children but healthful food and healthful exercise. There is no harm in observing… … Dictionary of troublesome word
healthy — healthily, adv. healthiness, n. /hel thee/, adj., healthier, healthiest. 1. possessing or enjoying good health or a sound and vigorous mentality: a healthy body; a healthy mind. 2. pertaining to or characteristic of good health, or a sound and… … Universalium
salutary — Not tory. For a discussion of its usage, see healthy, healthful, salutary … Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors
salutary — Not tory. For a discussion of its usage, see healthy, healthful, salutary … Dictionary of troublesome word
healthy — , healthful, salutary Some authorities maintain that healthy should apply only to those things that possess health and healthful to those that promote it. Thus we would have healthy children, but healthful food and healthful exercise. There is… … Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors
salutary — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. healthful, salubrious, wholesome; healing, medicinal, sanatory; tonic; beneficial, good. See health, goodness. Ant., insalubrious, unhealthful. II (Roget s IV) modif. 1. [Healthful] Syn. salubrious … English dictionary for students
healthy — adj 1. fit, physically fit, sound, in sound condition, in good condition, in fine fettle, Inf. in shape, Inf. in good or fine shape, Inf. in fine or high feather, Inf. in fine whack, Inf. in the pink, Brit. Dial. bonny; well, in good health;… … A Note on the Style of the synonym finder
healthful — adjective beneficial to health of body or mind Syn: healthy, salubrious, salutary See Also: heal, health, healthy … Wiktionary
salutary — a. 1. Healthy, healthful, salubrious, wholesome, salutiferous, helpful, safe. 2. Advantageous, beneficial, serviceable, good, useful, profitable … New dictionary of synonyms
healthful — healthful, healthy, wholesome, salubrious, salutary, hygienic, sanitary are comparable when they mean conducive or beneficial to the health or soundness of body or mind. Healthful is more common than healthy as the term carrying this sense (see… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
