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 RadkeExamples of food insecurity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to Feeding America, food insecurity in Connecticut increased from 10% in 2019 to 14% in 2023.
—Janhavi Munde, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2025
Conflict, often fuelled by climate stressors like food insecurity or water scarcity, both feeds on and amplifies disinformation.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Participation in CalFresh is especially high in agricultural counties such as Imperial and those across the Central Valley, where food insecurity is most acute and Latinos comprise up to 90 percent of enrollees, according to the study.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The passage of President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill on July 3 will likely have detrimental impacts on Kentuckians' access to food assistance — at a time when many residents are already struggling with food insecurity, advocates warn.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 July 2025
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Janhavi Munde, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2025
Conflict, often fuelled by climate stressors like food insecurity or water scarcity, both feeds on and amplifies disinformation.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Participation in CalFresh is especially high in agricultural counties such as Imperial and those across the Central Valley, where food insecurity is most acute and Latinos comprise up to 90 percent of enrollees, according to the study.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The passage of President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill on July 3 will likely have detrimental impacts on Kentuckians' access to food assistance — at a time when many residents are already struggling with food insecurity, advocates warn.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 July 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 19 Jul. 2025.
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