dietetic

American  

[dahy-i-tet-ik] / ˌdaɪ ɪˈtɛt ɪk /

adjective

1. pertaining to diet or to regulation of the use of food.

2. prepared or suitable for special diets, diet, especially those requiring a restricted sugar intake.

   a jar of dietetic jelly.

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noun

1. (used with a singular verb) dietetics, the science concerned with the nutritional planning and preparation of foods.

dietetic British  

/ ˌdaɪɪˈtɛtɪk /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to diet or the regulation of food intake

2. prepared for special dietary requirements

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Other Word Forms

• dietetically adverb
• nondietetic adjective
• nondietetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of dietetic

1535–45; < Latin diaeteticus < Greek diatētikós, equivalent to diatē-, variant stem of diaitân to treat, regulate (derivative of díaita diet ¹ ) + -tikos -tic

Example Sentences

“Recipes From the American South” presents food that has not been modified to assuage present-day dietetic anxieties.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

There is plenty to think about during the holy month of Ramadan, dietetic and otherwise.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2022

This is the kind of role that Brady, a man who adheres to a quasi-religious dietetic belief system, wisely avoids.

From Slate • Jan. 18, 2021

Still, dietetic or not, she said, “at our house, delicious taste makes Profile a family affair.”

From New York Times • May 18, 2016

And there seems to have been an inner circle, among whom the dietetic furor worked with special violence.

From History of American Socialisms by Noyes, John Humphrey