diabetic

1 of 2

adjective

di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbe-tik How to pronounce diabetic (audio)
1
: of or relating to diabetes or diabetics
2
: affected with diabetes
3
: occurring in or caused by diabetes
diabetic coma
4
: suitable for diabetics
diabetic food

diabetic

2 of 2

noun

: a person affected with diabetes

Examples of diabetic in a Sentence

Adjective new drugs for treating diabetic patients
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Some of our physicians are leveraging AI for support with documentation, radiology dictation, breast cancer analysis in radiology and pathology, diabetic retinopathy screening, flagging urgent messages from patients and finally, identifying patients who are likely to become seriously ill. Ainsley MacLean, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 The widow of a diabetic man who died in San Diego’s Central Jail last year after being denied insulin has sued the county, Sheriff Kelly Martinez and the jail’s medical provider, NaphCare. Kelly Davis, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
For these diabetics, in particular, glucose-responsive insulin like NNC2215 may help alleviate their fear. New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024 Bach managed his diabetes with an insulin pump but on occasion would experience mood swings if his blood sugar level peaked or fell outside the normal range — not uncommon for diabetics, said attorney John Gomez, whose law firm is representing Cecilia Bach. Kelly Davis, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for diabetic 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin diabēticus, from Late Latin diabētēs diabetes + -icus -ic entry 1

Noun

borrowed from Medieval Latin diabēticus, noun derivative of diabēticus diabetic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1763, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diabetic was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near diabetic

Cite this Entry

“Diabetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabetic. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

diabetic

1 of 2 adjective
di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbet-ik How to pronounce diabetic (audio)
: of, relating to, or having diabetes
a diabetic person

diabetic

2 of 2 noun
: a person who has diabetes

Medical Definition

diabetic

1 of 2 adjective
di·​a·​bet·​ic ˌdī-ə-ˈbet-ik How to pronounce diabetic (audio)
1
: of or relating to diabetes or diabetics
2
: affected with diabetes
3
: occurring in or caused by diabetes
a diabetic coma
4
: suitable for diabetics
diabetic food

diabetic

2 of 2 noun
: a person affected with diabetes

More from Merriam-Webster on diabetic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!