"healthful"

[Space60]

Have you ever heard the word "healthful" used? I have seen some usage guides that recommended for people to be referred to as "healthy", but vegetables to be referred to as "healthful", however I have never heard the word "healthful" in speech before and very rarely have I ever seen it written.

Ordinarily "healthy" is used for both meanings.

[kodé]

Have you ever heard the word "healthful" used? I have seen some usage guides that recommended for people to be referred to as "healthy", but vegetables to be referred to as "healthful", however I have never heard the word "healthful" in speech before and very rarely have I ever seen it written.

Ordinarily "healthy" is used for both meanings.

“Healthful” sounds like someone’s trying to sell me a diet solution

In all seriousness, though, you’re right that most speakers (in English dialects I’m aware of) use “healthy” everywhere. Whenever “healthful” is used, though, it’s not for people. So I’d say it’s more restricted on what it can modify (in addition to being much less common).

[Nortaneous]

It's a valid and plausible formation that I don't think we'd say in non-contrived contexts. My first thought is that it sounds Indian. But there are prescriptivists who prefer it.

[Travis B.]

I practically never hear "heathful" myself, unlike "healthy", which is used liberally to refer to everything under the sun.

[zompist]

"Healthful" is actually the older word.

[Space60]

"Healthful" is actually the older word.

Yes. The words "healthy" and "healthful" were once used interchangeably for both meanings and eventually the word "healthful" went extinct in ordinary speech. No distinction between meanings for the words "healthy" and "healthful" was made until the 1880s and it has always been a learned distinction, not one that people natively make.

[Raphael]

English L2 speaker. I think this thread might be the first time I've seen the word "healthful". Older word or not, it sounds like Newspeak to me.

[Emily]

similarly i don't think i've ever encountered the word "delectable" outside of an advertisement

[Space60]

I once heard a commercial for Beneful dog food where they said "healthful, flavorful, Beneful". They were of course using "healthful" because it ends the same way as "flavorful" and "Beneful".

[äreo]

I first encountered "healthful" in a textbook in elementary school and it rubbed me the wrong way.

[Space60]

A high school textbook in health class had the word "healthful". The health teacher while reading out loud from the textbook changed it to "healthy", so even she found the word odd apparently.

[Travis B.]

I frankly don't think I've heard "healthful" outside the context of this thread, even though I believe the Beneful commercial.