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

Less than 40% of the 120,000 people experiencing food insecurity in Jackson County qualify for SNAP assistance, McAfee-Bryant said. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2025

Participants must have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure; have moderate to high food insecurity as determined by a screening process and complete a four-week Cooking Matters course. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025

Around 40% of students of experienced food insecurity between 2023 and 2024. —Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 12 June 2025

Data shows that 2020 was the last year food insecurity in Connecticut decreased. —Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for food insecurity

• biosecurity
• cybersecurity
• immaturity
• prematurity
• impurity
• maturity
• obscurity
• security
• purity
• surety