Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective salutary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of salutary are healthful, salubrious, and wholesome. While all these words mean "favorable to the health of mind or body," salutary describes something corrective or beneficially effective, even though it may in itself be unpleasant.

a salutary warning that resulted in increased production

When could healthful be used to replace salutary?

The synonyms healthful and salutary are sometimes interchangeable, but healthful implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition.

a healthful diet

When might salubrious be a better fit than salutary?

While in some cases nearly identical to salutary, salubrious applies chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air.

cool and salubrious weather

In what contexts can wholesome take the place of salutary?

The words wholesome and salutary can be used in similar contexts, but wholesome applies to what benefits, builds up, or sustains physically, mentally, or spiritually.

wholesome foods
the movie is wholesome family entertainment

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of salutary To some analysts, that difference is a tribute to the flexibility of Britain’s parliamentary government and a salutary distinction between Britain and the United States. Mark Landler, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025 Some of history’s most salutary technologies—telephones, automobiles, antibiotics, international jet travel, the personal computer—bent society’s productivity and wealth curves upward. Rich Karlgaard, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 While that may be hard to enforce, the goal is salutary. The Editors, National Review, 25 Mar. 2025 Whether Friday’s sharp intraday wobble on some tariff headlines was a sign that these salutary factors are losing their hold on the market is just one crucial question awaiting investors in February. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 1 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for salutary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for salutary
Adjective
  • In addition to a bounty of vegetables, fruits, flowers and interactive learning activities, there to meet them were cavorting goats, buzzing bees, beneficial garden creatures such as pill bugs and worms, and Howie the miniature Scottish Highland Cross steer who loves attention and animal crackers.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
  • One key difference: Foreign financial assets that must be reported on the Form 8938 are only those assets in which the person has a beneficial ownership interest.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • This strategic focus on ensuring a healthy mix of companies across sectors has enabled the HQ portfolio to outperform the S&P 500, achieving returns greater than 91% since its inception.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • The Treasure Valley has a healthy supply of spots for these tasty Mexican treats.
    Idaho Statesman Staff, Idaho Statesman, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Bubic relied on his fastball more to get in favorable counts before mixing the rest of his pitching arsenal.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
  • That means chances are favorable for geomagnetic storms that lead to widespread sightings of the northern lights in the near future.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • The win was the fifth in a row for Detroit and 20th in its last 28 games, and raised its division-leading record to 35-21, good for a .655 winning percentage.
    Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025
  • Newcomer Davante Adams, 32, and Puka Nacua, 25, will complement one another, giving the Rams their best veteran tandem at receiver since Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. fueled the Super Bowl-winning offense.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025
Adjective
  • This feature can be extremely helpful in extending insights use cases and getting stakeholders to embrace research as part of their business.
    Erin Tavgac, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • The following are generally considered some of the least helpful foods for Crohn's disease.
    Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Sandalwood has been used for thousands of years for olfactory, medicinal and spiritual purposes, such as during prehistoric ceremonies and for ancient Egyptian embalming.
    Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 23 May 2025
  • Inmates preferred what is called a fecal immunochemical test, which doesn’t have medicinal or dietary restrictions, according to the report.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • For example, a suit in Montana targeted the state for failing to provide its residents with a healthful environment.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Allergy-Free Snacks To Pack for School Here are 15 allergy-free snacks that are healthful and free from the most common food allergens: Fresh fruit: Fresh fruit, like apples, clementines, and pears, is a safe snack for your child to bring to school.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At a moment as troubled as this one, to escape from this time into time itself is somehow salubrious.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Others wondered whether his election will have salubrious effects on Pakistan’s shambolic economy, foreign policy, or internal security.
    C. Christine Fair, Foreign Affairs, 27 July 2018

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Salutary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/salutary. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on salutary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!