salutary

adjective

sal·​u·​tary ˈsal-yə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce salutary (audio)
1
: producing a beneficial effect : remedial
salutary influences
2
: promoting health : curative
salutarily adverb
salutariness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for salutary

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 salutary in a Sentence

The accident should be a salutary lesson to be more careful. the low interest rates should have a salutary effect on business
Recent Examples on the Web And ignore the obvious truth that the imposition of additional constraints on LNG exports will make Europe and others more dependent upon the Putin regime for energy supplies, not a salutary outcome for U.S. foreign-policy interests. Benjamin Zycher, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 But her Celebration Tour stop certainly lived up to that salutary name, celebrating Madonna’s four-decade body of work and its culture-shaking impact. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 16 Jan. 2024 Spotify has seen a salutary flywheel effect when popular podcasters feature music or artists on their shows. Todd Spangler, Variety, 3 Feb. 2024 Yet for some of us, the Palestinian revolt has had the salutary effect of making Israel more visible through the mists of wish and dream. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 When the company’s inaugural train made its way to Orlando in late September, Stuart officials organized a trackside welcoming committee complete with banners and a salutary hosing of the passenger cars by a fire truck as the train passed through town. David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024 Going up is better than going down, but Christie’s bump in New Hampshire is much more likely to feed his political delusions than result in anything salutary for the larger cause. The Editors, National Review, 15 Dec. 2023 This is an important and salutary memoir by Ekeus, the Swedish diplomat in charge of the UN special commission tasked with ensuring that Iraqi chemical, biological, and missile programs were completely shut down in line with a 1991 UN Security Council resolution. Rolf Ekéus, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023 Before the trade wars of today, before China’s turn to Communism, before the depravity and greed of the 19th-century Opium Wars, lay centuries of salutary dialogue. Maxwell Carter, WSJ, 6 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salutary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French salutaire, from Latin salutaris, from salut-, salus health

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of salutary was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near salutary

Cite this Entry

“Salutary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salutary. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

salutary

adjective
sal·​u·​tary ˈsal-yə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce salutary (audio)
1
: producing a good result
2
: furthering good health
salutariness noun

Medical Definition

salutary

adjective
sal·​u·​tary ˈsal-yə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce salutary (audio)
: promoting health : curative

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