malnutrition
mal-noo-TRISH-uhn
/ˌmælnuːˈtrɪʃən/
Lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat.
Can refer to both 'under-nutrition' (starvation) and 'over-nutrition' (obesity with poor nutrient quality).
The story behind the word. The prefix 'mal-' comes from the Latin for 'bad' or 'evil'. Malnutrition is literally 'bad feeding', whether that means too little food or just the wrong kind of food.
Word relationships
- undernourishment: Specifically refers to not getting enough calories.
- wellness: The state of being in good health.
Commonly confused with
- starvation: Starvation is the extreme suffering or death caused by lack of food; malnutrition is a broader clinical term.
Word family
- malnourished (adjective): Suffering from malnutrition.
Collocations
- suffer from malnutrition
- acute malnutrition
- chronic malnutrition
Example sentences
- "Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients." A definition from a global health authority. (World Health Organization Fact Sheet)
- "The aid workers were shocked by the levels of malnutrition among the children in the refugee camp." Describing the effects of a famine.
Memory hook
'Mal' means bad (like a 'malfunction'). Malnutrition is a 'nutrition-function' gone bad. Malnutrition is 'bad' (mal) nutrition.
When not to use
Do not use it as a synonym for 'hunger'; hunger is a feeling, malnutrition is a physiological state.
Fun facts
- Surprisingly, some of the highest rates of malnutrition are found in wealthy countries where people eat plenty of calories but very few vitamins.
Related words
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