appetite
Meaning of appetite: Appetite is the physiological drive to eat, regulated by hormones and the brain, and its loss or increase can signal an underlying medical condition.
Definition of appetite
Appetite is the physiological drive to eat, distinct from hunger in the strict sense, which refers more specifically to the physical sensations that prompt eating. Appetite is influenced by a combination of signals, including hormones such as ghrelin, which stimulates the desire to eat, and leptin, which helps signal fullness, along with input from the digestive system and regions of the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, that integrate these signals.
Appetite can be affected by many factors beyond simple energy needs, including illness, pain, medications, mood, and the senses of smell and taste, and it commonly changes during acute illness or as a side effect of certain treatments, including some cancer therapies.
Because a change in appetite, whether a loss of appetite or an unusually increased one, can reflect an underlying medical condition, medication effect, or psychological factor, a persistent change is generally considered alongside other symptoms when evaluating its cause.
Used in a sentence
The patient reported a significant loss of appetite over the preceding several weeks.
Good to know
A persistent loss of appetite can be an early or subtle sign of an underlying illness even before other symptoms appear, which is why it is considered alongside other findings rather than in isolation.
Word origin
Where “appetite” comes from
Formed from Latin appetere, meaning to seek after, from ad-, meaning toward, and petere, meaning to seek.