cannibalism

American  

[kan-uh-buh-liz-uhm] / ˈkæn ə bəˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. the eating of human flesh by another human being.

2. the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of its own kind.

3. the ceremonial eating of human flesh or parts of the human body for magical or religious purposes, as to acquire the power or skill of a person recently killed.

4. the act of pecking flesh from a live fowl by a member of the same flock.

5. the removal of parts, equipment, assets, or employees from one product, item, or business in order to use them in another.

6. the acquisition and absorption of smaller companies by a large corporation or conglomerate.

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cannibalism British  

/ ˈkænɪbəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the act of eating human flesh or the flesh of one's own kind

2. savage and inhuman cruelty

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Other Word Forms

• cannibalistic
  adjective
• cannibalistically
  adverb
• noncannibalistic
  adjective
• noncannibalistically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cannibalism

First recorded in 1790–1800; cannibal + -ism

Explanation

Cannibalism is when people eat people, or another animal eats that type of animal. Of all the bizarre things in the world, cannibalism is near the top of the list. For humans, cannibalism means eating human flesh. This occurs in some primitive societies and among disturbed people such as serial killers. Also, if a group of people are stranded somewhere long enough, they might have to resort to cannibalism to survive. Animals that eat their own kind are also examples of cannibalism. People who engage in cannibalism are called cannibals.

Example Sentences

“Narrowness, in our opinion, is a problem because it poses questions of cannibalism for the rest of the market and the broader macroeconomic conditions that make bull markets really difficult to continue,” he said.

From MarketWatch • May 31, 2026

There was no evidence of cannibalism on their remains.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Instead, the evidence points to cannibalism for food.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

"Is this cannibalism?" laughed YouTuber Annamarie Forcino in a review posted this week, titled "Fruit Love Island is pure AI slop".

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Protein starvation is probably also the ultimate reason why cannibalism was widespread in traditional New Guinea highland societies.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond