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Synonyms

malnutrition

American  
[mal-noo-trish-uhn, -nyoo-] / ˌmæl nuˈtrɪʃ ən, -nyu- /

noun

  1. lack of proper nutrition; inadequate or unbalanced nutrition.

malnutrition British  
/ ˌmælnjuːˈtrɪʃən /

noun

  1. lack of adequate nutrition resulting from insufficient food, unbalanced diet, or defective assimilation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
malnutrition Scientific  
/ măl′no̅o̅-trĭsh′ən /

  1. Poor nutrition caused by an insufficient, oversufficient, or poorly balanced diet or by a medical condition, such as chronic diarrhea, resulting in inadequate digestion or utilization of foods.

malnutrition Cultural  

  1. Inadequate nutrition caused by the lack of a balanced diet or by disorders of the digestive system in which the nutrients from food cannot be absorbed properly.

Etymology

Origin of malnutrition

First recorded in 1860–65; mal- + nutrition

Compare meaning

How does malnutrition compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Explanation

Malnutrition is a condition resulting from an unbalanced diet or insufficient food. If you live for an entire year on Twinkies and diet soda, you will undoubtedly suffer from malnutrition. When you break apart the word malnutrition, it’s easy to remember what it means. You’re probably already familiar with nutrition, which refers to taking in or using food. Add on the prefix mal-, meaning “bad,” and you get a word that means “bad nutrition.” If you suffer from malnutrition, that means you aren’t getting the right balance of nutrients. This can be caused by not getting enough to eat, or it can be caused by not eating enough healthy foods.

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Vocabulary lists containing malnutrition

Nutrition - Introductory

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Nutrition - Middle School

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Nelson Mandela "I am Prepared to Die" (1964)

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Malnutrition or nutrient deficiency cases at both the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey fell between 2020/21 and 24/25.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

Malnutrition and poor dietary diversity remain significant challenges for children in Ethiopia, despite the country's large livestock population, a study highlights.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

Malnutrition can also affect the health of unborn babies.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2024

Malnutrition also can weaken the immune system over time, leaving children vulnerable to diseases that can kill.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Malnutrition of the reading faculty is a serious thing.

From The Haunted Bookshop by Morley, Christopher

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.