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

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

Because like the cannibal girls, the song and its singer/songwriter have been terribly misunderstood.

From Salon ● Mar. 27, 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

Beowulf in particular was wracked with guilt, for it had been his marvelous painting of the scene at Ahwoo-Ahwoo that seemed to have let the cannibal book out of the armoire, so to speak.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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

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 missing service members does not attribute Finnegan’s death to hostile action or indicate cannibals were any factor.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 17, 2024

But their study further supports their theory that sauropod carrion played a significant role in feeding the dinosaur kingdom, and that allosaurus were in fact cannibals.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2023

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