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Definition of malnutrition

malnutrition

/ˌmæl.nuːˈtrɪʃ.ən/
mal · nu · tri · tion
Adjective:malnourished
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malnutrition Lexical Profile

malnutrition Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A serious medical condition resulting from an inadequate, unbalanced, or excessive intake of essential nutrients, most commonly caused by not having enough nutritious food to eat.

Example

"Public health initiatives in the region have significantly reduced childhood malnutrition over the past decade."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for malnutrition
Antonyms
View all antonyms for malnutrition

Word Nuance & Usage

In everyday use, 'malnutrition' usually refers to a lack of food, though in medical contexts it strictly includes both undernutrition and overnutrition caused by an unbalanced diet.

• Rhymes for malnutrition

• Nearby Words

malmo
malnourished
malnourishment
malnutrition
malodor
malope
malpighia

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the mid-19th century by combining the prefix 'mal-' (from Latin 'malus', meaning 'bad') with 'nutrition' (from Late Latin 'nutritio', meaning 'a nourishing').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Malnutrition. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/malnutrition
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