: a substance or ingredient that promotes growth, provides energy, and maintains life
Tomatoes contain a lot of nutrients, among them vitamins C and B-complex and the minerals iron and potassium.—
Mayo Clinic Health Letter
Mayo Clinic Health LetterMost frugivores do not depend exclusively on fruits, because fruits tend to be deficient in certain nutrients such as protein, and because they are only seasonally available.—Robert Lee Smith
Robert Lee SmithSandy soils need organic amendments to help them retain nutrients and water, which otherwise leach out quickly.—Sunset
SunsetExamples of nutrient in a Sentence
Adjective
a breakfast drink enriched with nutrient proteins and vitamins
Noun
Fruits and vegetables have important nutrients.
The soil is low in nutrients.
You need more nutrients in your diet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2026
Make sure the plant grows in nutrient-rich soil.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
But having too much of some nutrients in cheese—namely, sodium and saturated fat—isn’t so helpful for certain health concerns, particularly high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), which raises the risk of heart problems.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nutrient
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Adjective
Oats and quinoa are both nutrient-dense, heart-healthy whole grains.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2026
Make sure the plant grows in nutrient-rich soil.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
For example, there might be an element other than caffeine that is healthy, but decaffeinating the coffee or tea also strips that nutrient.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
But having too much of some nutrients in cheese—namely, sodium and saturated fat—isn’t so helpful for certain health concerns, particularly high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), which raises the risk of heart problems.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nutrient
Cite this Entry
“Nutrient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nutrient. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nutrient
1 of 2 adjective
nu·tri·ent
ˈn(y)ü-trē-ənt 
: furnishing nourishment
nutrient
2 of 2 noun
: a nutrient substance or ingredient
Medical Definition
nutrient
1 of 2 adjective
nu·tri·ent
ˈn(y)ü-trē-ənt
: furnishing nourishment
nutrient
2 of 2 noun
: a nutritive substance or ingredient
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