noting a commercial product that is low in calories or low in any substance considered undesirable, as compared with a product of the same type: used especially in labeling or advertising commercial products.
lite beer.
noting a version that is comparatively less extreme, profound, advanced, etc., than the typical version (often used postpositively): The lite version of the app is available for mobile download.
The film glossed over the dangers of the experiment with a science-lite explanation.
The lite version of the app is available for mobile download.
(of food and drink) containing few calories or little alcohol or fat
denoting a more restrained or less extreme version of a person or thing
reggae lite
What does -lite mean? The combining form -lite is used like a suffix meaning “mineral” or "fossil." It is often used in scientific terms, especially in mineralogy. The form -lite comes from Greek líthos, meaning “stone.” The Latin translation of líthos is saxum, meaning “stone,” as in saxifrage, a plant named for its tendency to grow in the clefts in rocks. What are variants of -lite?In some rare instances, -lite is spelled with a -y-, becoming -lyte. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about -lyte.
First recorded in 1965–70; an informal, simplified spelling of light 2 ( def. )
< French, simplified form of -lithe < Greek líthos stone; similarly German -lit, earlier -lith
Lite is how many advertisers and companies spell "light," to describe a product that has less fat, fewer calories, and so on. For example, lite cream cheese is the choice of many dieters. If you add lite to the beginning of a word, it usually means lower in calories. Lite beer, sodas, and cookies all contain fewer calories than the regular versions. If you hyphenate lite at the end of a word, it suggests something is lower in substance than the original, like a political leader whose speech to voters might be policy-lite, meaning it does not focus just on laws. Otherwise, you're better off with the light spelling.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Back in the speakeasy lounge, guests favor lite fare like charcuterie and pork belly sliders from a menu curated by chef Travis Allen and culinary director Thomas Boemer, a multi-time James Beard award nominee.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
From diet and "lite" foods and drinks to expensive "superfoods," one constant across these changing trends has been the moralization of food as "good" or "bad."
From Salon • Jan. 30, 2023
She also said he told her that the interview had been edited more than a dozen times and that what ultimately aired was a lite version.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2022
Moreover, it is important when evaluating outcomes to recognize that the choice for many Americans is not between a “real” lawyer and some kind of lawyer lite.
From Slate • Oct. 17, 2022
Potential boyfriends could not smoke Merit cigarettes, own or wear a pair of cowboy boots, or eat anything labeled either lite or heart smart.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
