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Synonyms

dietetics

British  
/ ˌdaɪɪˈtɛtɪks /

noun

  1. (functioning as singular) the scientific study and regulation of food intake and preparation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Explanation

The science of human nutrition is known as dietetics. If you decide to study dietetics in college, you'll study nutrients and food, as well as anatomy, chemistry, genetics, and more. If someone wants to be a nutritionist or registered dietitian, their field of study will be dietetics. It's basically the science of studying nutrition and then applying those principles to specific patients, clients, or groups. With knowledge of dietetics, you might go into public health, become a doctor, or advise people how to lower their cholesterol or blood sugar by modifying their diets, for example.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2022, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommended consuming 400 to 600 milligrams of flavanols each day for cardiometabolic health.

From Science Daily • Oct. 27, 2025

The research and the new guidelines are published in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

What Caroline Susie, a registered dietician and the spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told me makes me wish I had a time machine: “Osteoporosis is a childhood disease with adult consequences.”

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2025

“Proper hydration keeps every system of the body running smoothly,” says dietitian-nutritionist Vanessa King, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2024

Dietetics deals with proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and calories: all terms which need definition and comprehension before the value of a sledging ration can be fundamentally understood.

From The Home of the Blizzard Being the Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 by Mawson, Douglas, Sir