A sweetener is any substance added to food or drinks to make them taste sweet. Sugar is the most common sweetener, but there are many others. Honey, maple syrup, and molasses are natural sweeteners that people have used for thousands of years. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose are chemical compounds created in laboratories to provide sweetness without the calories of sugar.

Different sweeteners work in different ways. Sugar dissolves easily and adds both sweetness and texture to baked goods. Honey brings its own distinct flavor along with sweetness. Artificial sweeteners can be hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, so you need only a tiny amount, but they can leave an aftertaste that people notice.

The word can also describe something added to make a deal or agreement more appealing. If your parents offer to let you pick the restaurant if you finish your homework early, that restaurant choice is a sweetener to motivate you. In business negotiations, a company might add a sweetener to their offer to convince someone to accept it, like throwing in free shipping or an extra service.

Whether in your lemonade or in a negotiation, a sweetener makes something more attractive or enjoyable than it would be on its own.