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
Examples of cannibalism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Kim, lab manager at Sunflower Star Lab, a nonprofit that leads research and conservation to recover the species, tilted his computer screen on a Zoom call to show dozens of young stars housed individually — due to rampant cannibalism — in what looked like plastic Tupperware.
—
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Season two saw the ‘90s Yellowjackets surviving a brutal winter that involved their first forays into cannibalism and increasing tensions among the team.
—Helen Murphy, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Tantalus dared to tempt—to tantalize—the Olympians with that great taboo, cannibalism.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
Her breakout hit, Tender Is the Flesh, posited a world in which cannibalism has become industrialized and meat is quite literally murder.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalism
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Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Season two saw the ‘90s Yellowjackets surviving a brutal winter that involved their first forays into cannibalism and increasing tensions among the team.
—Helen Murphy, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Tantalus dared to tempt—to tantalize—the Olympians with that great taboo, cannibalism.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
Her breakout hit, Tender Is the Flesh, posited a world in which cannibalism has become industrialized and meat is quite literally murder.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannibalism
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannibalism. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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