Salutary
What it means
Producing a beneficial or healthful effect.
Reach for it when describing a beneficial effect, especially one that corrects, teaches, or prevents harm
The review had a salutary effect on safety practices.
Words to choose between 8
| warm | |
|---|---|
| professional | |
| formal |
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warm
Fits when something supports moral or physical well-being
Careful Wholesome can sound moralizing or rustic.
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professional
Fits when a positive effect is the plain claim
Careful Beneficial lacks salutary's corrective or instructive shade.
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professional
Fits when the effect helps improve future action
Careful Constructive does not imply the lesson was uncomfortable.
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professional
corrective
Fits when setting an error or imbalance right is central
Careful Corrective can be punitive rather than beneficial.
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professional
Fits when promoting physical health is precise
Careful Healthful is narrower than social or corrective benefit.
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professional
remedial
Fits when a measure corrects a deficiency
Careful Remedial is narrower and can stigmatize people.
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formal
Fits when practical benefit to a party is central
Careful Advantage may be unfair or self-interested.
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formal
Fits when the experience teaches a useful lesson
Careful Instruction may be useful without improving conduct.
Opposites 3
- harmful
- detrimental
- pernicious
Common phrases 3
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salutary effect
The failed drill had a salutary effect on emergency planning.
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salutary lesson
The near miss offered a salutary lesson about informal shortcuts.
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salutary reminder
The audit was a salutary reminder that trust requires verification.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Salutary often describes a beneficial lesson produced by an unpleasant event; it can sound insensitive when harm is still fresh.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated