What does healthy mean?
Healthy is an adjective meaning in good physical health. It describes a person, body, or mind that is well, as well as food, habits, and environments that support good health. Because it also means robust or functioning properly, healthy is often used figuratively: a healthy economy may be growing steadily, and a healthy relationship may be stable and constructive. In everyday speech, the adjective can carry a positive, favorable implication, although it is not a medical diagnosis and need not describe an absence of illness. The related adverb healthily is used in expressions such as eating healthily, while eating healthy is more informal, especially in North American English. Healthy is useful because it links a precise physical condition with broader ideas of vitality, balance, and successful functioning. A reader can interpret it accurately by considering the particular thing described: a healthy body, a healthy diet, and a healthy business are related but not identical judgments.
In good physical or mental health; strong or functioning normally; conducive to health or, figuratively, prosperous and successful.
"The doctor said that regular activity and adequate rest are important for a healthy lifestyle."
The meaning varies with context: healthy food promotes good health, a healthy body is physically well, and a healthy economy is strong and prosperous.
In a healthy manner or according to healthy principles.
"The school encourages its pupils to eat healthily and exercise regularly."
The standard form is healthily. The shorter expression eat healthy is informal and especially common in North American English.
Healthy is a linguistic cousin of heal: both ultimately descend from Old English words associated with wholeness and recovery.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does healthy come from?
Healthy was formed in the early modern period from health plus the suffix -y. Health comes from Old English hælþ, meaning wholeness, healing, or soundness of the body, and is related to the Germanic roots behind heal and hale. These related forms express a shared ancient idea of physical wholeness or recovery, which helped establish the modern sense of being in good health.
Related word forms
How healthy is actually used
The adjective is common in formal, informal, and figurative contexts. The related adverb is normally healthily, although eating healthy is an established informal expression, especially in North American English. In financial and business contexts, healthy can mean strong or prosperous rather than merely free from illness.
Easily confused with healthy
Healthy is the more general everyday term, while healthful is more formal and is especially common in describing food or something beneficial to physical health.