glutamate

American  

[gloo-tuh-meyt] / 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

Compare meaning

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

• glutamate vs. glutamic acid

Example Sentences

This ultimately stimulates the release of more glutamate, which helps send excitatory signals between brain cells.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 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

When glutamate reaches the next neuron, it can cause that cell to fire, continuing the chain of communication.

From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2025

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

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee