vitamin

The word “vitamin” means one of a group of natural compounds the body needs in small amounts to grow, function, and stay healthy. In plain terms, a nutrient your body needs in tiny amounts to stay healthy.

“Vitamin” is pronounced VIHT-uh-mihn (/ˈvaɪ.tə.mɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “vitamin” used in a sentence: “Citrus fruit is a good source of vitamin C.”

“Vitamin” is a noun.

The word “vitamin” dates back to around 1912 and comes from Latin.

“Vitamin” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

Vitamins are organic compounds, made by plants and animals, that the body needs in small amounts to grow, function, and stay healthy. Minerals, such as iron and calcium, are inorganic elements that originate in soil and water. Both are essential nutrients needed only in small quantities, which is why they are grouped together as micronutrients.

A vitamin is a nutrient itself: a natural compound the body needs in small amounts. A supplement is a product, such as a tablet or capsule, taken to add nutrients to the diet, and it may contain vitamins, minerals, or other substances. So vitamin C is a vitamin, while a vitamin C tablet is a supplement.

Mostly no. The body cannot produce most vitamins in sufficient amounts, which is why they must come from food; this need for an outside supply is part of what defines a vitamin. A well-known exception is vitamin D, which the skin produces when exposed to sunlight.

Vitamins were given letters such as A, B, and C as researchers identified them, providing a simple label before each compound's chemistry was fully understood. Some early letters were later dropped or reclassified when the substances turned out not to be distinct vitamins, which is why the sequence has gaps. Numbered subtypes such as B1, B6, and B12 distinguish related compounds within a group.