food secure

adjective

also food-secure
: able to consistently access or afford adequate food
A food-secure household is not simply fed—it is free from the fear of hunger and not forced into unthinkable options (heat or eat) or short-sighted decisions (cheap, quick calories versus more nourishing choices).Jim Hanna
food security noun
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines "food security" as access at all times by all people within a household to enough food for an active, healthy life. "Food insecurity," on the other hand, occurs when a household's consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year. Elyse Miller

Examples of food secure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And preliminary data from a trial in New York City found that families who received home deliveries of fresh produce were more food secure and less stressed overall compared to families who didn’t. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024 Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the summit his country was food secure, but thanked his Russian counterpart nonetheless. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 27 July 2023 According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap data, Milwaukee families as a whole needed nearly $60 million to purchase enough food to become food secure. Talis Shelbourne, Journal Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2022 These students are more likely to have lower GPAs, lower attendance and completion rates, and are more likely to report indicators of stress and depression than their food secure counterparts. Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 Protecting and building habitats for pollinators keeps crop production in balance and food secure. Clarisa Diaz, Quartz, 9 June 2022 Qatar is the 24th most food secure country in the world as of 2021, ranking highest among Gulf Arab states, according to the Global Food Security Index. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 2 May 2022 About 30% of patients screened in certain Eskenazi clinics were not food secure. Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Sep. 2021 The microwave- and dishwasher-safe bento box is also leakproof and shock-resistant to keep your food secure from home to work. Lily Gray, PEOPLE.com, 30 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'food secure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of food secure was in 1982

Dictionary Entries Near food secure

Cite this Entry

“Food secure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20secure. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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