food insecurity

noun

plural food insecurities

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

The USDA defines food insecurity as a household's inability to provide enough food for each person to live an active, healthy lifestyle. Food insecurity can also occur when there is an abundance of processed, pre-packaged, calorie-dense foods, because these foods do not contain adequate nutrition.

—The Northeast Mississippi (Tupelo) Daily Journal

The federal government often allocates funds to help citizens facing food insecurity and other socio-economic hardships …

—Yssis Cano-Santiago

This past year has laid bare concerns about food insecurities in this country. The pandemic has led to shortages in the grocery store on essential items like toilet paper and meat.

—Amanda Radke

Examples of food insecurity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2023, nearly 282 million people across 59 countries faced severe food insecurity, requiring urgent assistance. —Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

The mission was not new for the actress and entrepreneur, who had been working with Save the Children, a non-profit addressing food insecurity. —Sydney Cella, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025

Across our nation, supporters not only celebrate the program, but help secure funding, while raising awareness of senior hunger, food insecurities, and malnutrition among our elderly. —Wendy Coschignano-Ford, Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2025

Metropolitan hopes to capitalize on the attention and support the work not only of the church, but others trying to address issues including environmental justice, health disparities and food insecurity, Lamar said. —Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for food insecurity

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