What does salubrity mean?
Salubrity means healthfulness or wholesomeness, particularly the quality of conditions that promote physical well-being. Its characteristic modern use is with climates, air, water, and surroundings, as in the salubrity of the country or the salubrity of a seaside resort. The word can suggest more than an absence of illness: it conveys a positive, restorative quality associated with clean air, fresh water, and pleasant natural surroundings. Although its definition clearly includes health, salubrity is broader and more evocative than either healthiness or wholesomeness alone. It is now chiefly formal and literary rather than part of everyday vocabulary. The adjective salubrious expresses a closely related idea, meaning healthy, wholesome, or beneficial to health.
nounThe quality of being healthy, wholesome, or conducive to good health, especially the quality of a climate or environment.
- The quality of being wholesome, healthy, or health-giving, especially with reference to climate, air, or surroundings.
"Visitors came to the coast for the salubrity of its climate and clean sea air."
"The salubrity of the mountain air made the town a popular summer retreat."
"The report questioned the salubrity of housing conditions in the industrial district."
The plural is grammatically correct but rarely used because salubrity itself is uncommon.
"Visitors praised the contrasting salubrities of the coast and the mountains."
Salubrity is especially evocative of fresh air, clean water, and climates thought to restore health.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does salubrity come from?
Salubrity entered English from the Latin noun salubritas, meaning healthiness or wholesomeness. This derives from salubris, meaning healthy or health-giving, which is associated with salus, the Latin word for health, safety, and welfare. The English noun is now most often found in elevated or formal descriptions of environments and climates.
Related word forms
How salubrity is actually used
Salubrity is formal and relatively uncommon in modern English. It is especially associated with descriptions of climates, air, water, and surroundings that are considered beneficial to health.