food security

noun

: the fact or an instance of being able to consistently access or afford adequate food

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

… the percentage of households with very low food security jumped to 5.7 percent last year …

—Tony Pugh

Examples of food security in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even if the full ambition has not been met, there is no doubt that clean hydrogen requires the full attention of our policymakers to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors and increasingly provide energy and food security. — Sverre Alvik, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

An Emory University poll released in March found that one in three Georgia families with children experienced low or very low food security. — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

This is the place where great ideas are given to the world and contribute enormously to the world in so many great fields, from health to energy, to science, to agriculture, to food security, to what not. — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

But could that combination also reduce a debilitating disease, boost food security AND help farmers make more money? — Rebecca Ramirez, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for food security

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