food insecure

American

[food in-si-kyoor] / ˈfud ˌɪn sɪˈkyʊər /

Or food-insecure

adjective

having or characterized by limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

Lack of rain has made for a reduced harvest, and at least 1.31 million people in the region are food insecure.

Etymology

Origin of food insecure

First recorded in 1975–80

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.

Some 1.4 million residents in the Big Apple are food insecure, meaning they're unable to regularly access affordable, healthy food.

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

Over 1 in 5 Californians are food insecure.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

About a quarter of military families are considered food insecure, and 15% rely on Snap or food pantries, according to the research firm Rand.

From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025

How does it help feed those who are food insecure?

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

World Food Program’s chief economist, said every year since 2016 the numbers of people acutely food insecure have gone up, and they are now more than double the numbers before the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 24, 2024

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