glutamate

American  

[gloo-tuh-mayt] / ˈglu təˌmeɪt /

noun

1. a salt or ester of glutamic acid.

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glutamate British  

/ ˈɡluːtəˌmeɪt /

noun

1. any salt of glutamic acid, esp its sodium salt See monosodium glutamate

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Etymology

Origin of glutamate

First recorded in 1875–80; glutam(ic acid) + -ate ²

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Compare meaning

How does glutamate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• glutamate vs. glutamic acid

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

glutamate

This change increased the number of GluK4 glutamate receptors, making certain neurons more excitable than normal.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026

Ajinomoto, which means “essence of flavor”, built its food empire on the discovery of umami and commercialized the so-called fifth taste in its purest form as monosodium glutamate, a “flavor bomb” used by cooks worldwide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

Aijinomoto is best known as the pioneer of monosodium glutamate seasoning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

Ajinomoto, the Japanese food company best known for commercializing monosodium glutamate, used its chemistry knowledge to make a specialized film used in the underside layer of a chip alongside T-glass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026

This resulted in the substitution of one amino acid for another: glutamate was switched to valine.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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