food security: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal / Technical / Academic / Policy
Quick answer
What does “food security” mean?
The state in which all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The state in which all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
A complex global issue encompassing sustainable food production, equitable distribution systems, economic stability affecting access, resilience to shocks (climate, conflict), and nutritional quality, often measured at household, national, and global levels.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The concept is identical in both dialects. Minor differences may arise in related policy terminology (e.g., 'Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' vs. 'US Department of Agriculture').
Connotations
Identical technical/policy connotations. Slightly more frequent in UK/international development discourse due to historical focus on famine prevention.
Frequency
Comparably high frequency in academic, NGO, and governmental contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “food security” in a Sentence
[Verb] + food security (e.g., ensure, threaten, improve)food security + [Preposition] + [Noun] (e.g., security in the region, security for vulnerable populations)[Adjective] + food security (e.g., global, household, long-term)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “food security” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The government's primary objective is to guarantee the nation's food security.
- Food security in the region has been severely compromised by consecutive poor harvests.
American English
- Congress is reviewing the farm bill with a focus on long-term food security.
- Climate change poses one of the greatest risks to global food security.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in CSR reports or agribusiness strategy discussing supply chain resilience.
Academic
Very common in development studies, economics, agriculture, public health, and political science.
Everyday
Uncommon in casual conversation. May appear in news reports about droughts, wars, or economic crises.
Technical
Core term in humanitarian, agricultural, and economic policy, with defined metrics (e.g., IPC scale, FIES).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “food security”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “food security”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “food security”
- Using 'food security' to mean 'a secure feeling when eating' (psychological).
- Treating it as a plural countable noun ('food securities').
- Confusing it with 'food safety'.
- Using it as an adjective ('food-secure household' is correct, not 'food security household').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Food security focuses on access to sufficient food. Food sovereignty is a broader political concept emphasizing the right of peoples to define their own food and agricultural systems, prioritizing local production and control.
No, it is generally a non-count (uncountable) noun phrase. You don't say 'food securities'. You can qualify it (e.g., 'levels of food security,' 'the food security of a region').
Yes. While often associated with developing nations, food security has four pillars: availability, access, utilization, and stability. Wealthy countries can have issues with access (due to poverty or inequality) and stability (due to economic or supply chain shocks), affecting vulnerable groups.
Through composite indicators and surveys, such as the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), or the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for acute crises. Metrics often combine dietary diversity, food expenditure shares, and coping strategies.
The state in which all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Food security is usually formal / technical / academic / policy in register.
Food security: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfuːd sɪˌkjʊər.ə.ti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfud səˌkjʊr.ə.t̬i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Putting food on the table (related, but refers to earning a living, not systemic security)”
- “Food for thought (unrelated idiom)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the three A's of food security: Availability (is food produced?), Accessibility (can people get it?), and Affordability (can people pay for it?).
Conceptual Metaphor
SECURITY AS A SHIELD (Food security protects populations from the 'attack' of hunger). FOUNDATION (Food security is the foundation of a stable society).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST accurate synonym for 'food security' in a technical report?