anthropophagy

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/ˌæn.θɹəˈpɒ.fə.d͡ʒi/

noun

The act or practice of eating human flesh, especially in the context of human cannibalism

OriginAncient Greek ἔφᾰγον (éphăgon) ← Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂g- ← English anthropo- →
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Meanings

nounanthropophagy (usually uncountable, plural anthropophagies)

plural anthropophagies

  1. uncountableusuallyThe act or practice of eating human flesh, especially in the context of human cannibalism

    Other paraphilias are more blatantly transgressive and usually illegal: amokoscisia (desire to slash or mutilate females); anthropophagy (cannibalism); anthropophagolagnia (rape accompanied by cannibalism); […]

    2013, RJ Parker, Peter Vronsky, Michael Newton, Serial Killers True Crime Anthology 2014, volume I, page 29

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
anthropophagism

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekᾰ̓́νθρωπος (ắnthrōpos)
  2. Englishanthropo-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂g-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂g-
  5. Ancient Greekἔφᾰγον (éphăgon)
  6. Englishanthropophagy

From anthropo- + -phagy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Esperanto antropofagio, hommanĝado
  • antropofagioconsumption of human flesh
  • hommanĝadoconsumption of human flesh
Finnish ihmissyönti, antropofagia
  • ihmissyönticonsumption of human flesh
  • antropofagiaconsumption of human flesh
French anthropophagie
  • anthropophagieconsumption of human flesh
German Anthropophagie
  • Anthropophagieconsumption of human flesh
Indonesian antropofagi
  • antropofagiconsumption of human flesh
Italian antropofagia
  • antropofagiaconsumption of human flesh
Japanese 食人
  • 食人 (shokujin)consumption of human flesh
Malay antropofagi
  • antropofagiconsumption of human flesh
Polish antropofagia, ludożerstwo
  • antropofagiaconsumption of human flesh
  • ludożerstwoconsumption of human flesh
Portuguese antropofagia
  • antropofagiaconsumption of human flesh
Slovak antropofágia
  • antropofágiaconsumption of human flesh
Turkish antropofaji, insan yamyamlığı
  • antropofajiconsumption of human flesh
  • insan yamyamlığıconsumption of human flesh
Cite this entry
APA

anthropophagy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthropophagy

MLA

“anthropophagy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthropophagy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anthropophagy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthropophagy.

Source: anthropophagy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.