monosodium glutamate

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, C 5 H 8 NNaO 4 ⋅H 2 O, used to intensify the flavor of foods.

---

monosodium glutamate British  

/ ˌmɒnəʊˈsəʊdɪəm /

noun

1. Also called: sodium glutamate.   MSG.  a white crystalline substance, the sodium salt of glutamic acid, that has little flavour itself but enhances the flavour of proteins either by increasing the amount of saliva produced in the mouth or by stimulating the taste buds: used as a food additive, esp in Chinese foods. Formula: NaC 5 H 8 O 4

---

monosodium glutamate Scientific  

/ mŏn′ə-sō′dē-əmglo̅o̅′tə-māt′ /

1. A white, crystalline salt used to flavor food, especially in China and Japan. It occurs naturally in tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and seaweed. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₈ NNaO ₄ .

---

Etymology

Origin of monosodium glutamate

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monosodium glutamate

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

Examples that can be found around us include various amino acids, including monosodium glutamate, food proteins, enzymes, flavoring compounds, food colorings, and bioactive substances.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 12, 2024

But monosodium glutamate — created in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who coined the term "umami," the flavor it produces — is not the dangerous food additive you may have been misled about.

From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2023

It is one of the world’s largest producers of monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 1, 2023

Many moderns who have found that monosodium glutamate steps up the flavor of natural cheese, put it in at the start, using one-half teaspoon for each cup of grated Cheddar.

From The Complete Book of Cheese by Brown, Robert Carlton