adjective
Related Words
See healthy.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of healthful
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English helthful; see health, -ful
Explanation
Things that are healthful are good for your body, mind, or overall well-being. Your dinner of barbecued potato chips, ice cream, and slices of cheddar cheese might be delicious, but it's not very healthful. Something that has a favorable effect on your health can be described with the adjective healthful. Well-balanced meals full of whole grains and vegetables are healthful. A good night's sleep and a long walk in the fresh air are both healthful, because they promote your good health. When you are full of health, however, don't use healthful to describe yourself — instead, use the closely related word healthy.
Vocabulary lists containing healthful
Power Suffix: -ful
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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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.
But they want us to work on improving the system to make it more healthful and sustainable and fairer to workers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Besides, not cooking them will save you time — and raw vegetables are often more nutritious and healthful than cooked, too.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2025
They approved a new state constitution in 1972 that enshrined the right to a “clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024
Her aim to use healthful, local fresh foods took determination.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2024
As he had been thinking for months about leaving his wife and had not done it because it would be too cruel to deprive her of himself, her departure was a very healthful shock.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
