lite

¹

[lahyt]

adjective

1. noting a commercial product that is low in calories or low in any substance considered undesirable, as compared with a product of the same type: used especially in labeling or advertising commercial products.

   lite beer.

2. noting a version that is comparatively less extreme, profound, advanced, etc., than the typical version (often used postpositively): The lite version of the app is available for mobile download.

   The film glossed over the dangers of the experiment with a science-lite explanation.

   The lite version of the app is available for mobile download.

noun

1. light.

-lite

²

1. a combining form used in the names of minerals or fossils.

   aerolite; chrysolite.

lite

¹

/ laɪt /

adjective

1. (of food and drink) containing few calories or little alcohol or fat

2. denoting a more restrained or less extreme version of a person or thing

   reggae lite

-lite

²

combining form

1. (in names of minerals) stone Compare -lith

   chrysolite

Other Word Forms

• liteness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lite¹

First recorded in 1965–70; an informal, simplified spelling of light ² ( def. )

Origin of lite²

< French, simplified form of -lithe < Greek líthos stone; similarly German -lit, earlier -lith

Word History and Origins

Origin of lite¹

C20: variant spelling of _light ²

Origin of lite²

from French -lite or -lithe, from Greek lithos stone

Example Sentences

“If you think Miller Lite is going to carry you home, you’re wrong,” he howled during one service in his native Louisiana.

From Los Angeles Times

Poilievre had to fend off criticism from political rivals that he is "Trump lite", with his combative style, his vows to end "woke ideology", and willingness to take on the "global elite".

From BBC

The fact-checking program has ended, with Zuckerberg pretending that the choice between fake and real news is merely about taste, like choosing between Miller Lite or a Cabernet.

From Salon

He joined OAN, the least prominent conservative news network in the nation, to host a Tucker Carlson–lite political salon.

From Slate

Over cheesesteaks and Yuengling beer in Philadelphia and an inordinate variety of sausages and Miller Lite cans in Green Bay, fans were trying to put their election anxiety on hold for a few hours of tailgating and four quarters of football.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does -lite mean?

The combining form -lite is used like a suffix meaning “mineral” or "fossil." It is often used in scientific terms, especially in mineralogy.The form -lite comes from Greek líthos, meaning “stone.” The Latin translation of líthos is saxum, meaning “stone,” as in saxifrage, a plant named for its tendency to grow in the clefts in rocks.What are variants of -lite?In some rare instances, -lite is spelled with a -y-, becoming -lyte. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about -lyte.