cannibalism

noun

can·​ni·​bal·​ism ˈka-nə-bə-ˌli-zəm 

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

ˌka-nə-bə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

Examples of cannibalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The serious young man asked if I’d heard about that case of cannibalism in Florida. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026

Sure, the local museum proudly displays the island’s history of cannibalism, witch burning, serial killers and often devastating weather system. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Witness the botch job that was made of assessing the 9% ratings drop in 2016, which apparently had nothing to with the usual election-year cannibalism or a tsunami of high-profile player injuries. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026

The earliest bout of cosmic cannibalism involved the collision with and consumption of the dwarf galaxy Gaia-Enceladus about 10 billion years ago. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cannibalism

• activism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism
• calvinism

Kids Definition

cannibalism

noun

can·​ni·​bal·​ism ˈkan-ə-bə-ˌliz-əm 

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

ˌkan-ə-bə-ˈlis-tik 

adjective

Medical Definition

cannibalism

noun

can·​ni·​bal·​ism -bə-ˌliz-əm 

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