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

I spend enough time sitting around the house worrying about what I said to someone in high school that may have hurt their feeling so bad it turned them into a cannibal.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2025

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

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

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” “Writer-director Sarah Polley could land a nod for her adaptation of the Mennonite consciousness-raising drama ‘Women Talking,’ while writers may appreciate Luca Guadagnino’s pitch-perfect cannibal road movie ‘Bones and All.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2022

“I call it Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Ahwoo-Ahwoo. I got the idea from Lumawoo’s cannibal book,” Beowulf explained.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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

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

As they do so, like Sara, seeking a “defining moment” they might morph into news cannibals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2025

The U.S. government’s record of service members missing in action does not attribute Finnegan’s death to hostilities nor does it indicate that cannibals were a factor.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

Behind every tree Penelope imagined she saw the eyes of bloodthirsty cannibals, glinting hungrily in the dark.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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