What does nutritive mean?
Nutritive is a formal word describing something that provides nourishment or supports growth, health, and vitality. Its adjective sense is especially associated with nutrition, agriculture, biology, and food: a soil or material may have high nutritive value, while a substance may perform a nutritive function. The word can also be used as a noun for a substance or thing that nourishes, although this use is less common and often appears in specialized or historical contexts. Nutritive is related in meaning to nutritious and nourishing but is generally more technical in register. It is also broader than words describing a particular nutrient, since it emphasizes the quality or function of providing nourishment rather than naming a specific vitamin, mineral, or food component. The word is useful when discussing what sustains living systems or supports growth.
Providing nourishment; serving to sustain growth, health, or vitality.
"The crop was planted in rich, nutritive soil."
A substance or thing that provides nourishment.
"The physician recommended a simple nutritive for convalescents."
This plural is used with the comparatively rare noun sense to refer to multiple nourishing substances or things.
"The guide lists several useful nutritives for garden birds."
Nutritive comes from the same ancient root behind nourish and nutrition: the idea of sustaining life through food.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nutritive come from?
Nutritive entered English in the early 17th century through French, from Latin nutritivus, meaning “nourishing” or “productive of nourishment.” The Latin word was based on nutrire, “to nourish,” the same root that also underlies nourish, nutrient, nutrition, and nutritious. These related forms reflect the central idea of sustaining life through nourishment.
Related word forms
How nutritive is actually used
Nutritive is formal and relatively uncommon in everyday speech. It is used especially in nutrition, biology, agriculture, and food contexts. The noun sense is comparatively rare and usually refers to a food, substance, or other thing considered nourishing.
Easily confused with nutritive
Nutritious means providing the nutrients needed for health and growth, while nutritive is a more formal or technical term that can also describe something relating to nutrition or function as a noun meaning a nourishing substance.