What does "dietary" mean?

1. (relating to food and health) relating to the food you eat or to a special diet you follow for health or religious reasons. 2. (a fixed meal plan) a fixed plan for what people in a place like a hospital or prison should eat.

How do you use "dietary"?

Usually placed before a noun, such as 'dietary habits', 'dietary needs', or 'dietary fiber'.

dietary

adj. · n.

US //ˈdaɪəˌtɛɹi// UK //dˈaɪətəɹi// di·etary

1 relating to food and health (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

relating to the food you eat or to a special diet you follow for health or religious reasons.

pertaining to the intake of food or to specific nutritional regulations and restrictions.

Example

The restaurant menu clearly marks any dishes that meet common dietary requirements.

Example

The doctor suggested several dietary changes to help manage his high blood pressure without relying solely on medication.

Usage

Usually placed before a noun, such as 'dietary habits', 'dietary needs', or 'dietary fiber'.
- nutritional
- alimentary
2 a fixed meal plan (n.)
C2 Proficiency Formal Technical

a fixed plan for what people in a place like a hospital or prison should eat.

a prescribed system or schedule of food provided to the inhabitants of an institution.

Example

The hospital dietary was designed to provide patients with balanced nutrition during recovery.

Example

Historical records from the nineteenth-century prison show a strict dietary consisting largely of bread, gruel, and occasional servings of meat.

Teacher's tip

This noun sense is rare in modern conversation; learners will almost always encounter 'dietary' as an adjective.
- regimen
- dietary plan

Origin

From Medieval Latin diētārium (“book prescribing diet”), from Latin diaeta (“diet”).