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

Reportedly, 361 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition, including 130 children, with 13 of them, including three children, having died in the past 24 hours. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Gaza’s Health Ministry claims there have been 393 deaths, including 140 children, due to starvation or malnutrition. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025

The bee was likely suffered from malnutrition, Sevigny said, and may soon go the way of hundreds of thousands of others in his three dozen hives that have died because of smoke from the Glass Fire. —Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025

Widespread starvation Many of the patients the doctors saw showed signs of acute malnutrition, most of whom were children, Ali said. —Brendan Rascius, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025

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