cannibalism

noun

can·​ni·​bal·​ism ˈka-nə-bə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce cannibalism (audio)
1
: the usually ritualistic eating of human flesh by a human being
2
: the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of the same kind
3
: an act of cannibalizing something
cannibalistic adjective

Examples of cannibalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: The Biggest Differences Between the Book and Movie There is one subtle cannibalism scene The film opens with a flashback of a young Coriolanus Snow and his cousin Tigris during the Dark Days when the Capitol was in ruins and food was scarce. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 In 60 percent of those nests not a single larva survived, most commonly because of whole-clutch cannibalism: the male had gobbled up hundreds of eggs. Carolyn Wilke, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023 When the story opens, the girl has just snuck out of the Jamestown fort—the inhabitants have descended into cannibalism—and run away from her employers. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2023 The new episodes saw the teens facing brutal hardship in the rough winter, including their first steps into cannibalism and the loss of Shauna's baby. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 May 2023 Sometimes victims would be worshipped as gods before having their hearts torn out; sometimes Aztecs engaged in ritual cannibalism, eating human flesh to commune with the gods. Sam Kriss, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023 Wanga: To stop the cannibalism of the local fashion industry. Essence, 3 Oct. 2023 That being said, the team didn’t find overwhelming evidence that the prehistoric people – who hailed from 3,000 years to 6,000 years ago – practiced more extensive cannibalism. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2023 But what if another creature could produce ostensibly the same material in bulk, without all the cannibalism? Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cannibalism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cannibalism was in 1634

Dictionary Entries Near cannibalism

Cite this Entry

“Cannibalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannibalism. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

cannibalism

noun
can·​ni·​bal·​ism ˈkan-ə-bə-ˌliz-əm How to pronounce cannibalism (audio)
1
: the eating of human flesh by a human being
2
: the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of the same kind
cannibalistic adjective

Medical Definition

cannibalism

noun
can·​ni·​bal·​ism -bə-ˌliz-əm How to pronounce cannibalism (audio)
1
: the usually ritualistic eating of human flesh by a human being
2
: the eating of the flesh or the eggs of any animal by its own kind
3
: the pecking and tearing of the live flesh of its own members in a domestic poultry flock compare pecking order
4
: oral sadism

More from Merriam-Webster on cannibalism

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