digestive

digestive — adjective

1. connected with the process in which the body breaks down food so that nutrients

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

connected with the process in which the body breaks down food so that nutrients can be used for energy and growth

Example

Élise felt a sharp digestive pain after eating the spicy curry.

collocation: digestive pain

The doctor explained how stress can slow down your digestive system.

collocation: digestive system

Common collocations
  • digestive system
  • digestive tract
  • digestive health
  • digestive problems
  • digestive benefits
  • digestive enzymes
  • digestive issues
Synonyms
  • gastrointestinal

    more formal and specific to the stomach and intestines; used mainly in medical contexts

  • intestinal

    narrower in scope — refers only to the intestines, not the whole process

Grammar Patterns

digestive + noun

Usage Note

Digestive is almost always used before a noun. Common compounds include 'digestive system', 'digestive tract', 'digestive health', and 'digestive problems'. The noun 'digestive' on its own usually refers to a type of biscuit, not a bodily process.

Common Mistakes

I have a digestive problem at my stomach.
I have a digestive problem / a problem with my digestion.
'digestive' is an adjective; it cannot stand alone as a noun for a medical condition.

digestive — noun

Word family

  • digest
    verbB1
  • digestion
    nounB1
  • digestible
    adjectiveB2
  • indigestible
    adjectiveC1
  • indigestion
    nounB2
  • digestively
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words relate to the body's handling of food, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Digestive' is the everyday general term (digestive system, digestive health) and is the only one used before common nouns. 'Gastrointestinal' (often abbreviated 'GI') is a formal medical term covering the stomach and intestines together — a doctor might order a 'gastrointestinal endoscopy' but would not say 'gastrointestinal health' in casual conversation. 'Intestinal' is narrower, referring only to the intestines: 'intestinal blockage' or 'intestinal flora'. Use 'digestive' for general health advice or everyday problems; use 'gastrointestinal' in clinical or research settings; use 'intestinal' when the focus is specifically on the intestines.

digestive ↗gastrointestinalintestinal

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'digestive' comes from Latin 'digerere' meaning 'to separate, divide, or arrange'. This was formed from 'dis-' (meaning 'apart') and 'gerere' (meaning 'to carry'). In Old French it became 'digestif', and by the late 1400s English had adopted 'digestive' as an adjective describing anything that helps with digestion. The noun meaning 'a sweet whole-wheat biscuit' appeared in Britain in the mid-1800s, originally marketed as aiding digestion due to the wholemeal flour — a claim that was more marketing than medicine.