Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective, health·i·er, health·i·est.
- possessing or enjoying good health or a sound and vigorous mentality: a healthy body; a healthy mind.
- pertaining to or characteristic of good health, or a sound and vigorous mind: a healthy appearance; healthy attitudes.
- conducive to good health; healthful: healthy recreations.
- prosperous or sound: a healthy business.
- Informal. fairly large: I bought a healthy number of books.
adjective healthier or healthiest
- enjoying good health
- functioning well or being soundthe company’s finances are not very healthy
- conducive to health; salutary
- indicating soundness of body or minda healthy appetite
- informal considerable in size or amounta healthy sum
1550s, from health + -y (2). Slightly earlier in the same sense was healthsome (1530s). Related: Healthiness.
It is wrong to say that certain articles of food are healthy or unhealthy. Wholesome and unwholesome are the right words. A pig may be healthy or unhealthy while alive; but after he is killed and becomes pork, he can enjoy no health, and suffer no sickness. [Eliza Leslie, “Miss Leslie’s Behaviour Book,” Philadelphia, 1839]
adj.
- Possessing good health.
- Conducive to good health; healthful.
- Indicative of sound, rational thinking or frame of mind.