vitamin

American  

[vahy-tuh-min, vit-uh-min] / ˈvaɪ tə mɪn, ˈvɪt ə mɪn /

British also vitamine

noun

• vitamins
  plural

1. any of a group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism, found in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs or sometimes produced synthetically: deficiencies of vitamins produce specific disorders.

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vitamin British  

/ ˈvɪtəmɪn, ˈvaɪ- /

noun

1. any of a group of substances that are essential, in small quantities, for the normal functioning of metabolism in the body. They cannot usually be synthesized in the body but they occur naturally in certain foods: insufficient supply of any particular vitamin results in a deficiency disease

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vitamin Scientific  

/ vī′tə-mĭn /

1. Any of various organic compounds that are needed in small amounts for normal growth and activity of the body. Most vitamins cannot be synthesized by the body, but are found naturally in foods obtained from plants and animals. Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. Most water-soluble vitamins, such as the vitamin B complex, act as catalysts and coenzymes in metabolic processes and energy transfer and are excreted fairly rapidly. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, and E are necessary for the function or structural integrity of specific body tissues and membranes and are retained in the body.

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Closer Look

Although it has been known for thousands of years that certain diseases can be treated with specific foods, the scientific link between vitamins and good health wasn't made until the early 1900s by Polish-born American biochemist Casimir Funk. While studying beriberi, a disease that causes depression, fatigue, and nerve damage, Funk discovered an organic compound in rice husks that prevents the illness. He named the compound vitamine, derived from the chemical name amine and the Latin word vita, "life," because vitamins are required for life and were originally thought to be amines. Funk's compound is now known as vitamin B₁, or thiamine. His research and discovery led him, along with English biochemist Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, to propose the vitamin hypothesis of deficiency, which stated that certain diseases, such as scurvy or rickets, are caused by dietary deficiencies and can be avoided by taking vitamins. Further research allowed scientists to isolate and identify the vitamins that we know today to be essential for human health. Vitamins include A, C, D, E, K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B₆, B₁₂, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Vitamins are distinguished from minerals, such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, which are also essential for optimum health.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vitaminic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vitamins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vitamin

1912; earlier vitamine < Latin vīt ( a ) life + amine; coined by C. Funk, who thought they were amines

Explanation

A vitamin is an organic substance your body needs to keep working properly. Vitamins are important to health. Your body needs food and water to stay alive, but it also needs vitamins to work properly. You get some Vitamin D from the sun, and lots of Vitamin C from citrus fruits such as oranges. Without vitamins, your immune system can weaken. Many people take vitamins in pill form to help them stay healthy. The word vitamin — originally vitamine — was coined by scientist Casimir Funk in the early 1900s. He combined vita, Latin for "life," with amine, from amino acids.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vitamin vitamins

Medical staff agreed to give Ann an intravenous supplement of vitamin B6, which appeared to stop her seizures.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Within minutes of administering vitamin B6, Ann's seizure activity stopped.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

“Conditions such as depression, lack of sleep, a low-functioning thyroid, and vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to memory loss that mimic the early stages of dementia,” Tan writes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

For calcium and vitamin D taken together, high certainty evidence from 15 trials involving 51,126 participants also showed little to no meaningful effect.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

The fruit is soaked with oil and rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and, surprisingly, protein.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

"There are mandatory vitamins and minerals which manufacturers in the UK are required to add to white wheat flour such as calcium carbonate, niacin and thiamin," she says.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

She also spent a huge amount of time researching triggers and spent "hundreds on various things just to see if that would help" - from vitamins to chiropractors.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

By engineering yeast, scientists have developed a system that can transform compounds from plastic and agricultural waste into edible proteins, vitamins, flavorings, and other food ingredients.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 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

I stopped drinking and smoking, went to all of my appointments, ate right, took my vitamins, the whole nine.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• fiber
• food
• mineral