food insecurity

noun

plural food insecurities
: the fact or an instance of being unable to consistently access or afford adequate food
The USDA defines food insecurity as a household's inability to provide enough food for each person to live an active, healthy lifestyle. Food insecurity can also occur when there is an abundance of processed, pre-packaged, calorie-dense foods, because these foods do not contain adequate nutrition.The Northeast Mississippi (Tupelo) Daily Journal
The federal government often allocates funds to help citizens facing food insecurity and other socio-economic hardships …Yssis Cano-Santiago
This past year has laid bare concerns about food insecurities in this country. The pandemic has led to shortages in the grocery store on essential items like toilet paper and meat.Amanda Radke

Examples of food insecurity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Firstly, the challenges facing our planet are staggering, and failure to act is already devastatingly impacting lives and livelihoods worldwide, increasing the risk of conflicts, food insecurity, and pandemics. Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024 With a focus on communities facing food insecurities, Quavo Cares has previously partnered with Walmart, Feeding America, New Bethel Ministries, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank to foster community and serve families from Gwinnett, Fulton and Dekalb counties. Jem Aswad, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024 During his first trip to Africa last week, President Joe Biden said the U.S. would provide more than $1 billion in humanitarian aid for Africans displaced by historic droughts and food insecurity. Jeff Cercone, Austin American-Statesman, 9 Dec. 2024 According to the Child Poverty Action Group, a U.K. charity group dedicated to preventing child poverty, child hunger and food insecurity worsens during school breaks, with 900,000 school-age children in England living in poverty missing out on free school meals. Violet Goldstone, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for food insecurity 

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of food insecurity was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near food insecurity

Cite this Entry

“Food insecurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20insecurity. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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