nutrient

American  

[noo-tree-uhnt, nyoo-] / ˈnu tri ənt, ˈnju- /

adjective

1. nourishing; providing nourishment or nutriment.

2. containing or conveying nutriment, as solutions or vessels of the body.

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noun

• nutrients
  plural

1. a nutrient substance.

nutrient British  

/ ˈnjuːtrɪənt /

noun

1. any of the mineral substances that are absorbed by the roots of plants for nourishment

2. any substance that nourishes an organism

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adjective

1. providing or contributing to nourishment

   a nutrient solution

nutrient Scientific  

/ no̅o̅′trē-ənt /

1. A substance that provides nourishment for growth or metabolism. Plants absorb nutrients mainly from the soil in the form of minerals and other inorganic compounds, and animals obtain nutrients from ingested foods.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonnutrient
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nutrients
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nutrient

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin nūtrient-, stem of nūtriēns “feeding,” present participle of nūtrīre “to feed”; see nourish

Explanation

A nutrient is anything that nourishes a living being. We humans get our nutrients from what we eat, plants get theirs from the soil. While the best nutrients are natural, we can also get them from vitamins in a bottle. The words nutrient and nourish both come from the Latin word nūtrīre, "to feed, nurse, support, preserve." Although usually used as a noun, the word nutrient started out in 1650 as an adjective meaning "providing nourishment." It's important to your health to get the proper nutrients, so the food pyramid was developed by nutritionists to show you the balance of foods you need each day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nutrient nutrients

This sets off a chemical reaction freeing phosphorus, a primary nutrient for the algae, from the lake floor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

"Healthy, biologically active soil is crucial for fertility, nutrient cycling and many other ecosystem services."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Frain, a trained chef, is now working on “protein hero” projects like a buffalo mac and cheese with 40 grams of the nutrient.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

In other words, the health effects of a food may depend on how its components interact rather than simply on the amount of one nutrient it contains.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Because of bamboo’s low nutrient value, a panda must eat between twenty and forty pounds a day, even in winter, to gain the nutrition it needs.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

As tumors expand rapidly, blood flow and nutrients may not always keep pace.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

Heavily processed milling strips away bran, germ and other nutrients, and while federal law requires such flour to be enriched, the end product still lacks key vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Soil supports the food we eat, stores water, carbon and nutrients, and provides habitat for an enormous share of life on Earth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Chinese producers use American sulfur to manufacture phosphate fertilizers, which supply phosphorus—one of the three primary plant nutrients along with nitrogen and potassium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

This variety ensured that the ancient foragers received all the necessary nutrients.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• fiber
• food
• mineral
• vitamin