What does enteric mean?
"Enteric" is an adjective meaning relating to the intestines or, more broadly, the digestive tract. It derives from the Greek word "enteron," meaning intestine, and belongs firmly to the vocabulary of medicine, biology, and pharmacology rather than everyday speech. Clinicians speak of enteric bacteria that inhabit the gut, of enteric fever (a traditional name for typhoid), and of the enteric nervous system — the remarkable web of some hundreds of millions of neurons lining the gastrointestinal tract that governs digestion largely independently of the brain. Pharmacists use the term for enteric coatings, protective layers on tablets engineered to survive stomach acid and release their medication in the intestine instead. The word is precise, clinical, and neutral in tone, making it invaluable whenever accuracy about the intestinal tract matters more than colloquial ease. For anyone reading medical literature or health journalism, "enteric" is a small but essential piece of vocabulary.
adjectiveRelating to the intestines or the digestive tract. In medicine and pharmacology it also describes preparations (such as coated tablets) designed to pass through the stomach intact and dissolve in the intestine.
- Of or relating to the intestines or digestive tract (e.g., enteric bacteria, enteric fever).
- (Of a tablet or drug coating) designed to remain intact in the stomach and dissolve in the intestine.
"The enteric nervous system contains so many neurons that scientists often call it the body's second brain."
"Doctors traced the outbreak to water contaminated with enteric pathogens."
"The aspirin comes with an enteric coating to protect the stomach lining."
Your gut has a mind of its own — the enteric nervous system packs roughly 500 million neurons into your digestive tract.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enteric
"Enteric" comes from the Greek "enteron," meaning intestine or bowel, via the combining form "entero-." English adopted it in the nineteenth century as medical science turned increasingly to Greek roots for anatomical terminology. It shares this origin with related terms such as "enteritis" (inflammation of the intestine) and "dysentery" (literally "bad intestine" condition), all built on the same Greek root.
How enteric is actually used
"Enteric" is chiefly a technical term found in medical, pharmacological, and scientific writing; it rarely appears in everyday conversation. It carries a neutral, clinical connotation rather than any emotional charge.
Easily confused with enteric
"Systemic" refers to the whole body or a body system as a whole, whereas "enteric" refers specifically to the intestines.