Lite

/laɪt/ adjective

Definition

A lighter or reduced version of something, especially food or drinks with fewer calories, fat, or artificial ingredients than the full-strength version.

Etymology

A phonetic spelling of 'light' that became a marketing term in the 1960s-70s. Corporations used it to brand diet foods and low-calorie products.

Kelly Says

Lite is one of the few informal spellings that became officially acceptable—it shows how advertising and consumer culture can literally change the English language, one diet soda at a time.

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