malnutrition

noun

mal·​nu·​tri·​tion ˌmal-nu̇-ˈtri-shən 

-nyu̇-

: faulty nutrition due to inadequate or unbalanced intake of nutrients or their impaired assimilation or utilization

Examples of malnutrition in a Sentence

a program to help poor children suffering from malnutrition

Recent Examples on the Web

Since Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office in 2017, more than 70 inmates have died in Tarrant County Jail from causes ranging from malnutrition and dehydration to use of force by jail staff, as was the case with Anthony Johnson, whose death was ruled a homicide. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Mar. 2026

Data and recordings from more than a hundred 911 calls at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, along with interviews and court filings, offer a disturbing portrait of overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition and emotional distress. —ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026

The tool helped nurses catch other problems that often go missed, says Rwandarwacu, including malnutrition and anemia. —Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026

The region, for decades blighted with some of the world’s highest malnutrition rates, has been further hit in recent months by a sudden aid cut from Western nations. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for malnutrition

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition

Kids Definition

malnutrition

noun

mal·​nu·​tri·​tion ˌmal-n(y)u̇-ˈtrish-ən 

: faulty nutrition especially due to inadequate intake of nutrients

Medical Definition

malnutrition

noun

mal·​nu·​tri·​tion ˌmal-n(y)u̇-ˈtrish-ən 

: faulty nutrition due to inadequate or unbalanced intake of nutrients or their impaired assimilation or utilization

malnutritional

-ᵊl 

adjective