salutary

[ sal-yuh-ter-ee ]

adjective

1. favorable to or promoting health; healthful.

   Synonyms: salubrious

2. promoting or conducive to some beneficial purpose; wholesome.

salutary

/ -trɪ; ˈsæljʊtərɪ /

adjective

1. promoting or intended to promote an improvement or beneficial effect

   a salutary warning

2. promoting or intended to promote health

Derived Forms

• ˈsalutarily, adverb
• ˈsalutariness, noun

Other Words From

• sal·u·tar·i·ly [sal, -y, uh, -ter-, uh, -lee, sal-y, uh, -, tair, -], adverb
• salu·tari·ness noun
• non·salu·tari·ly adverb
• non·salu·tari·ly·ness noun
• non·salu·tari·ness noun
• non·salu·tary adjective
• un·salu·tary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of salutary¹

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin salūt(āris) ( salūt- (stem of salūs ) “health” + -āris -ar ¹ ) + -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of salutary¹

C15: from Latin salūtāris wholesome, from salūs safety

Synonym Study

See healthy.

Example Sentences

“I do think that, ultimately, it’s a salutary thing,” she says of the entertainment industry’s newfound race consciousness.

From Los Angeles Times

Additionally, the salutary bipartisan reform of the Electoral Count Act took away the more pernicious avenues to corrupting the election results, and we are more aware of what bad actors might try to do.

From Salon

We are better prepared now, in part through a salutary reform of the Electoral Count Act.

From Salon

For most in the audience, that aim will prove entirely unobjectionable, for some even salutary.

From New York Times

That it's not possible to say whether he will be at engagements only a few weeks away might be a salutary reminder that this is still an ongoing problem.

From BBC

Related Words

• healthful