In better physical or mental condition; having fewer sicknesses or health problems than before or compared to something else.
From Old English 'hælth' (wholeness, being unbroken) plus '-y' to make an adjective, then '-er' for comparison. The root connects to 'whole' because health was seen as the body being intact and complete.
Doctors now understand that 'healthier' doesn't just mean physically stronger—it includes mental health, which ancient people knew intuitively but modern medicine only scientifically proved recently, showing how an old word keeps revealing new meanings as science catches up.
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