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• lite
  lite

  adjective

  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
  -lite

  a combining form used in the names of minerals or fossils.

lite

¹ American  

[lahyt] / laɪt /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

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noun

1. light.

-lite ² American  

1. a combining form used in the names of minerals or fossils.

   aerolite; chrysolite.

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lite ¹ British  

/ laɪt /

adjective

1. (of food and drink) containing few calories or little alcohol or fat

2. denoting a more restrained or less extreme version of a person or thing

   reggae lite

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-lite ² British  

combining form

1. (in names of minerals) stone Compare -lith

   chrysolite

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• liteness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of lite¹

First recorded in 1965–70; an informal, simplified spelling of light ² ( def. )

Origin of -lite²

< French, simplified form of -lithe < Greek líthos stone; similarly German -lit, earlier -lith

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

Last July, I made the case in this magazine that a new form of stagflation, which I called stagflation lite, was on the horizon for the U.S. economy.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

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

It feels, on the ground, like Y2K lite.

From Slate • Jul. 19, 2024

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

There’s the constant lite FM, which occasionally borders on dangerously funky, coming out of the nurses’ station whether Smitty or Howard is behind it.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini