Malthusian

[ mal-thoo-zhuhn, -zee-uhn ]

/ mælˈθu ʒən, -zi ən /

Save This Word!

adjective

of or relating to the theories of T. R. Malthus, which state that population tends to increase faster, at a geometrical ratio, than the means of subsistence, which increases at an arithmetical ratio, and that this will result in an inadequate supply of the goods supporting life unless war, famine, or disease reduces the population or the increase of population is checked.

noun

a follower of Malthus.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Malthusian

First recorded in 1805–15; Malthus + -ian

OTHER WORDS FROM Malthusian

Mal·thu·sian·ism, nounan·ti-Mal·thu·si·an, adjective, nounan·ti-Mal·thu·si·an·ism, nounnon-Mal·thu·si·an, adjective, noun

pro-Mal·thu·si·an, adjective, nounpro-Mal·thu·si·an·ism, noun

Words nearby Malthusian

Maltese dog, malt extract, maltha, malthene, Malthus, Malthusian, Malthusianism, Malthusian parameter, Malthus, Thomas, malting, Maltipoo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Malthusian in a sentence

Orwellian, Malthusian, barbarous, depraved…I think you get me.
Conservatives Find Typo in Obamacare, Try to Kill People With It|Michael Tomasky|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And despite all the Malthusian nonsense, we've still got plenty of oil and natural gas, reports the National Journal's Amy Harder.
Peak Oil Still Isn't Real, You Guys|Justin Green|April 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution, civilization was stuck in the Malthusian Trap.
Why China > Soviet Union|Ryan Prior|June 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Workers responded by laboring harder and longer and bearing more children in a desperate attempt to outrun their Malthusian trap.
Answering a Murray Defender|David Frum|February 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST

In my fantasy I am not simply wasting my final nights with fruitless, Malthusian ramblings.
The Extinction Parade: An Original Zombie Story by Max Brooks|Max Brooks|January 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is difficult to over-estimate the harm that has been done to public policy by this same Malthusian theory.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
It was this experience which gave shape to his Malthusian theories.
The English Utilitarians, Volume II (of 3)|Leslie Stephen
One of the professor's formulas is the so-called "Malthusian law," that population presses always upon the limits of subsistence.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society|Upton Sinclair
The Malthusian chorus of political economists suggests the notion that a nation may be over-physical.
The Education of American Girls|Anna Callender Brackett
Precisely this seemed to be the case with the Malthusian theory.
On the Significance of Science and Art|Count Lyof N. Tolstoi

British Dictionary definitions for Malthusian

Malthusian

/ (mælˈθjuːzɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to the theory of Malthus stating that increases in population tend to exceed increases in the means of subsistence and that therefore sexual restraint should be exercised

noun

a supporter of this theory

Derived forms of Malthusian

Malthusianism, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012