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

From the far northeastern province of Badakhshan, the young mother of two was bounced around hospitals there and in the northern city of Kunduz as doctors struggled to treat her gravely ill baby, suffering from a heart problem and severe pneumonia compounded by malnutrition. —ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026

Scurvy comes from severe malnutrition and vitamin C deficiency. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026

Prevent malnutrition by regularly including lean meats, leafy greens, eggs, and dairy in their diet to support growth spurts. —William Jones, Ascend Agency, 10 Feb. 2026

In Umm Baru, nearly 53% of children between aged between 6 months and nearly 5 years suffered from acute malnutrition, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said -- almost double the famine threshold, which stands at 30%. —Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 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