missionaries and cannibals problem

noun

A logic puzzle in which a number of missionaries and cannibals must cross a river using a boat which can carry only a limited number of people, under the constraint that missionaries must never be outnumbered by cannibals on either bank (since they would otherwise be eaten).

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Meanings

nounmissionaries and cannibals problem (plural missionaries and cannibals problems)

plural missionaries and cannibals problems

  1. A logic puzzle in which a number of missionaries and cannibals must cross a river using a boat which can carry only a limited number of people, under the constraint that missionaries must never be outnumbered by cannibals on either bank (since they would otherwise be eaten).
Cite this entry
APA

missionaries and cannibals problem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/missionaries%20and%20cannibals%20problem

MLA

“missionaries and cannibals problem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/missionaries%20and%20cannibals%20problem. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “missionaries and cannibals problem,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/missionaries%20and%20cannibals%20problem.

Source: missionaries and cannibals problem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.