lite

¹

[ lahyt ]

adjective

1. noting a commercial product that is low in calories or low in any substance considered undesirable, as compared with a product of the same type: used especially in labeling or advertising commercial products:

   lite beer.

2. noting a version that is comparatively less extreme, profound, advanced, etc., than the typical version (often used postpositively): The lite version of the app is available for mobile download.

   The film glossed over the dangers of the experiment with a science-lite explanation.

   The lite version of the app is available for mobile download.

noun

1. light ²( def 36 ).

-lite

²

1. a combining form used in the names of minerals or fossils:

   aerolite; chrysolite.

-lite

¹

combining form

1. (in names of minerals) stone Compare -lith

   chrysolite

lite

²

/ laɪt /

adjective

1. (of food and drink) containing few calories or little alcohol or fat
2. denoting a more restrained or less extreme version of a person or thing

   reggae lite

Other Words From

• liteness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lite¹

First recorded in 1965–70; an informal, simplified spelling of light ²( def )

Origin of lite²

< French, simplified form of -lithe < Greek líthos stone; similarly German -lit, earlier -lith

Word History and Origins

Origin of lite¹

from French -lite or -lithe, from Greek lithos stone

Origin of lite²

C20: variant spelling of light ²

Example Sentences

Over cheesesteaks and Yuengling beer in Philadelphia and an inordinate variety of sausages and Miller Lite cans in Green Bay, fans were trying to put their election anxiety on hold for a few hours of tailgating and four quarters of football.

From Los Angeles Times

Whether I was in Braunschweig, Germany, a suburb of Salt Lake City, or at home in Central Texas, I found myself no longer forced to choose between the likes of Stella Artois or Miller Lite if I wanted something that wouldn’t put me under the table.

From Salon

It feels, on the ground, like Y2K lite.

From Slate

Because it is said to pack a softer punch than the THC in cannabis, delta-8 products are often called “weed lite” or “diet weed.”

From Los Angeles Times

Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, a Yolo County Democrat, is the author of AB 2223, which would outlaw these “weed lite” products.

From Los Angeles Times