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.
Armed with hundreds of thousands of dollars from Newman’s Own Foundation and Ozempic creator Novo Nordisk, young Native Americans are leading the fight against persistently high rates of food insecurity in tribal communities. Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025 The National Military Family Association estimates that one in five military and veteran families are experiencing some level of food insecurity. Justin Gomez, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025 Inflation also hits people with disabilities, part-time workers and those who are unemployed — groups at greater risk of food insecurity — particularly hard, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 9 Oct. 2025 Rural counties already face higher rates of poverty and food insecurity than the national average, with one in seven rural households relying on SNAP. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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