malnutrition

American  

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

noun

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

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malnutrition British  

/ ˌmælnjuːˈtrɪʃən /

noun

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

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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.

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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.

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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:

• malnutrition vs. undernutrition

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

malnutrition

Yet malnutrition remains widespread, with children often poorly fed.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

And the country had been facing high malnutrition and outbreaks of diseases like cholera "already circulating on a large scale", she said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

One researcher investigating AI’s effects on children has expressed concerns of “cognitive stunting” — critical thinking skills prohibited from developing, just as physical growth can be stymied by malnutrition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

The UN's children agency, UNICEF, said last week that one million children faced "life-threatening" malnutrition.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Now he was reported to be bearded, wild-haired, and struggling badly with malnutrition and parasites.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• hunger
• starvation