Meaning & use
nutrient
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A substance in food that living things need to grow and stay healthy.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural: 'essential nutrients'.
Patterns
- essential nutrients
- a source of nutrients
- absorb nutrients
- nutrient-rich
Plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and other nutrients.
This cereal is fortified with extra nutrients.
Word forms
| plural | nutrients |
|---|
Common combinations
- essential nutrient
- Iron is an essential nutrient for carrying oxygen in the blood.
- nutrient intake
- Doctors monitor the patient's nutrient intake.
- nutrient deficiency
- A nutrient deficiency can lead to serious health problems.
- plant nutrient
- Nitrogen is a key plant nutrient.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nourishment
- Nourishment is a broader, more abstract term for food that keeps you healthy; nutrient is a specific substance.
Word family
- nutrition noun
- The process of getting the food and nutrients needed for health.
- nutritious adjective
- Full of nutrients; healthy to eat.
- nutriment noun
- Formal word for food or nutrient that helps growth.
Commonly confused: nutrient or nutrition?
nutrient vs nutrition
Nutrition is the whole process or study of how food is used; a nutrient is a single substance like vitamin C.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'Calcium is an important ______ for strong bones.'
Choose one answer.
A nutrient is a substance, so it fits the noun slot. Nutrition is the process, nutritious is an adjective, and nourish is a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nutrient”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.