cannibal

American  

[kan-uh-buhl] / ˈkæn ə bəl /

noun

• cannibals
  plural

1. a person who eats human flesh, especially for magical or religious purposes, as among certain tribal peoples.

2. any animal that eats its own kind.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or characteristic of a cannibal.

2. given to cannibalism.

cannibal British  

/ ˈkænɪbəl /

noun

1. 1. a person who eats the flesh of other human beings

   2. ( as modifier )

      cannibal tribes

2. an animal that feeds on the flesh of others of its kind

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cannibally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cannibals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cannibal

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish caníbal, variant of caríbal, from canib-, caribe (from Taíno; see Carib ( def. )) + -al -al ¹; from the belief that the Caribs of the West Indies ate human flesh

Explanation

A cannibal is someone who eats human flesh. It’s a good idea not to get too friendly with one, especially if you’re covered in delicious-smelling spices. The word cannibal comes from the Spanish word caníbalis, which was Christopher Columbus’s version of the word Caribs, the name people from the Caribbean called themselves. They meant Carib as in “brave ones” so something got lost in translation! Most cannibals are fictional — like Queequeg from Moby Dick or Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. This word can apply to animals that eat their own kind: for example, the cannibal shrimp eats other shrimp. Ew.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cannibal cannibals

These cannibal dads had bulging bellies and a tendency to regurgitate the eggs when handled, the team reported in the American Naturalist.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 1, 2023

When we left our cannibal teen soccer players and their adult counterparts on “Yellowjackets,” things were getting deliciously deranged.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2023

Czubek poses the relationship between Nabwana and Hofmanis as an artistic roller coaster: They’re either gleefully collaborating on script ideas for a cannibal movie or having a falling out over the direction of the studio.

From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2023

The pilot ends by returning to the cannibal scene with a reveal reminiscent of a ’90s record-scratch freeze frame — the ol’ “I bet you’re wondering how I got here.”

From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2023

Josie felt a little like she’d been asked to become a cannibal.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

As a young man, by his account, he smuggled diamonds, oversaw coconut plantations, dynamited fish, captained schooners and hunted killer cannibals in the New Guinea jungle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

What makes “Heated Rivalry” so special is that its queer characters are allowed to embrace joy and take their time to develop a connection without deadly viruses and cannibals at their door.

From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2026

When Rodgers finally shows up, Hart turns on the charm, lets slip that he doesn’t actually like the show, and pitches the great composer on one about singing cannibals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025

Twice last week, Mr. Biden suggested without evidence that his uncle had been eaten by cannibals.

From New York Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

At one point a large barge nearly brushed up against us and I imagined we would be boarded by cannibals.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

Related Words

• anthropophaginian
• anthropophagite
• anthropophagus
• man-eater
• people-eater