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

The 30-minute series, from Hearst Media Production Group, will follow everyday people who are making an impact through animal advocacy, wildlife conservation, youth empowerment and food insecurity aid. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024

Are any of us who are lucky enough to have enough food in a position to judge those who struggle with food insecurity? —David G. Allan, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024

This Thanksgiving, one in nine working-age veterans is facing food insecurity, according to Feeding America. —Pilar Arias, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024

Whaley said that food insecurity issues are really financial insecurity issues. —Rachel Dobkin, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above