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sweetener

American  
[sweet-n-er] / ˈswit n ər /

noun

  1. something that sweetens, as sugar or a low-calorie synthetic product used instead of sugar.

  2. an added inducement.

    such sweeteners as tax breaks and low-cost loans.
sweetener British  
/ ˈswiːtənə /

noun

  1. a sweetening agent, esp one that does not contain sugar

  2. informal a bribe

  3. informal a financial inducement

"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

Etymology

Origin of sweetener

First recorded in 1640–50; sweeten + -er 1

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.

I add a pinch of salt to the yogurt along with the zest and sweetener.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Asked about "sweetener" measures, finance chief Chan told reporters that his budget included bigger tax breaks this year compared to 2025.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Because it is low in calories and poorly absorbed by the body, tagatose functions well as a "bulk sweetener."

From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026

So after intensive talks over the Christmas period, a deal has been thrashed out, which seems to chiefly revolve around the sweetener of contract reform.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

Those parts are put back together in new ways to make the sweetener in your soft drink or the starch in your hamburger roll.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.