cannibalism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Academic, journalistic, formal; sensational/figurative in everyday use.
Quick answer
What does “cannibalism” mean?
The practice of eating the flesh of one's own species.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The practice of eating the flesh of one's own species.
Metaphorically refers to destructive competition or consumption within a single group, organization, or system.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. British English may show a slightly higher frequency in figurative use in political journalism.
Connotations
Strongly negative literal meaning. Figurative use carries a tone of criticism or warning against harmful internal practices.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday conversation; higher in specific academic (anthropology, biology) and figurative (business analysis) contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “cannibalism” in a Sentence
[Subject] practised cannibalism.Cannibalism occurred among [group].There is evidence of cannibalism in [context].[Group] was driven to cannibalism by [cause].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cannibalism” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The desperate survivors were feared to have cannibalised the deceased.
- The new budget airline is cannibalising sales from the parent company's flagship carrier.
American English
- The software update ended up cannibalizing the market for our older version.
- In the harsh winter, some animals may cannibalize weaker members of their group.
adverb
British English
- The groups fought almost cannibalistically for the shrinking resources.
American English
- The two departments competed cannibalistically for the same funding.
adjective
British English
- Cannibalistic practices were documented in certain ancient tribes.
- The market became cannibalistic, with each new product eating into the sales of another.
American English
- The cannibalistic tendencies of the corporate culture were ultimately its downfall.
- Some species exhibit cannibalistic behavior under stress.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a company's new product reducing sales of its own older products.
Academic
Discussed in anthropology, history, and zoology as a cultural practice or survival strategy.
Everyday
Used figuratively to describe any viciously self-destructive or internally competitive situation.
Technical
In ecology/zoology: intraspecific predation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cannibalism”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cannibalism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cannibalism”
- Misspelling: 'cannabilism', 'canibalism'.
- Using it to mean simple aggression rather than consumption/self-destruction.
- Confusing literal and figurative uses inappropriately.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in all modern nations, the act of killing a person for consumption is murder and is illegal. Even consensual acts or consumption of already deceased individuals typically violate laws related to corpse desecration.
'Anthropophagy' is a more technical, clinical synonym derived from Greek. 'Cannibalism' originates from 'Carib', the name of a people, and is the far more common term in general use.
Yes, it's a standard zoological term (intraspecific predation). For example, 'cannibalism is observed in some spider species where the female eats the male after mating.'
Figuratively, it describes any situation where one part of a system harms or consumes another part, weakening the whole. Common in business ('market cannibalism'), politics ('party cannibalism'), and media ('the channel cannibalised its own audience').
The practice of eating the flesh of one's own species.
Cannibalism is usually academic, journalistic, formal; sensational/figurative in everyday use. in register.
Cannibalism: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkænɪbəlɪzəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkænəbəˌlɪzəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's cannibalism out there. (figurative: fiercely competitive)”
- “A case of corporate cannibalism.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CAN of meat that is labelled 'BAL' for 'balanced' but is actually 'ISM' for a strange practice – a 'can-bal-ism'.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPETITION IS CANNIBALISM; SELF-DESTRUCTION IS EATING ONESELF.
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, 'cannibalism' most accurately refers to: