healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

 also  ˈheltth-

1

: beneficial to health of body or mind

2

: healthy

he felt incapable of looking into the girl's pretty, healthful face

—Saul Bellow

healthfully adverb

healthfulness noun

Synonyms

• good
• healthy
• medicinal
• restorative
• salubrious
• salutary
• salutiferous
• sanative
• tonic
• wholesome

Choose the Right Synonym for healthful

healthful, wholesome, salubrious, salutary mean favorable to the health of mind or body.

healthful implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition.

a healthful diet

wholesome applies to what benefits, builds up, or sustains physically, mentally, or spiritually.

wholesome foods

the movie is wholesome family entertainment

salubrious applies chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air.

cool and salubrious weather

salutary describes something corrective or beneficially effective, even though it may in itself be unpleasant.

a salutary warning that resulted in increased production

Examples of healthful in a Sentence

The meal was both healthful and satisfying.

one of the most healthful forms of exercise is a brisk walk

Recent Examples on the Web

Pumpkin Seeds Pumpkin seeds are rich in MUFAs, PUFAs, and healthful compounds like cholesterol-lowering phytosterols and carotenoids, which support your skin and eyes.19 These seeds are a notable source of oleic acid, a healthy fat known for its anti-inflammatory effects. —Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 22 Jan. 2025

Otherwise the right to a clean and healthful environment is meaningless. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024

This gluten-free grain offers protein, healthful fats and carbs to support good health and give you lasting energy. —Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 7 Dec. 2024

All that said, tempering the role of UPFs in your life and choosing either unprocessed or less-processed foods when possible can still orient your diet in a more healthful direction overall. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for healthful

• unhealthful

Video

Healthy vs. Healthful

Why both words are equally good for you.

Kids Definition

healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

1

: good for the health of the body or mind

healthful exercise

2

: healthy sense 1

healthfully

-fə-lē

adverb

healthfulness noun

Medical Definition

healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

: beneficial to health of body or mind

healthfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

healthfulness noun