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 Northeast Mississippi (Tupelo) Daily JournalThe federal government often allocates funds to help citizens facing food insecurity and other socio-economic hardships …—Yssis Cano-Santiago
Yssis Cano-SantiagoThis 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
Amanda RadkeFood insecurity is linked to numerous situations, including poverty, job layoffs and living in food deserts …—Lelia Durand
Lelia DurandExamples of food insecurity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With food insecurity on the rise nationwide with only partial SNAP benefits promised to be distributed in November, and potentially until the federal government shutdown ends, Aldi's Thanksgiving grocery list offers another more affordable option for feeding families during the holiday.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
One in three New Yorkers face food insecurity.
—Fahad Zuberi, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
More than 40 million people rely on SNAP each month, and anti-hunger advocates warn that the funding lapse could trigger widespread food insecurity.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The problem of global food insecurity — affecting 733 million people in 2023, prompting the UN’s Zero Hunger goal — could be partially solved by adopting this new fiber.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for food insecurity
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.
Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
One in three New Yorkers face food insecurity.
—Fahad Zuberi, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
More than 40 million people rely on SNAP each month, and anti-hunger advocates warn that the funding lapse could trigger widespread food insecurity.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The problem of global food insecurity — affecting 733 million people in 2023, prompting the UN’s Zero Hunger goal — could be partially solved by adopting this new fiber.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for food insecurity
Cite this Entry
“Food insecurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20insecurity. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share