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.
According to the organization, Miami-Dade’s rate of food insecurity is up 50% from 2019 levels. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025 Research consistently shows that SNAP reductions lead to higher rates of food insecurity and poorer health outcomes for children. Aisha Nyandoro, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025 Critics, however, say the bans would not solve issues around food insecurity and may be a veiled attempt at reducing benefits. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 On May 12, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global system created to track food insecurity, released an alarming report on projections of food insecurity in Gaza. Yara M. Asi, The Conversation, 21 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Food insecurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20insecurity. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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