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

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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

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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

And now, perhaps: baby-eating cannibal, according to new research into the parental habits of these giant amphibians.

From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 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

“So Quinzy has the cannibal book but cannot read it. And we have the visibilizer, or will, once you prepare it—but no book.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

He battled oversize cannibals, outmaneuvered a witch and lost scores of men at every turn.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Mencken remarked on the politician who had some cannibals among his constituents that “he would promise them missionaries for dinner.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

You’d think a show that follows the transition from soccer champions to cultish cannibals would want to start us off with pure, innocent girls to emphasize the severity of their journey.

From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2025

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

From New York Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

They marched around the back yard, slashing at foliage, occasionally pausing to pick off a stray elephant or fight a tribe of cannibals.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

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Related Words

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

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