Neo-Malthusian

noun

A proponent of Neo-Malthusianism

Meanings

Neo-Malthusian1

nounNeo-Malthusian (plural Neo-Malthusians)

plural Neo-Malthusians · alternative neo-Malthusian

neo-Malthusian2

adjectiveneo-Malthusian (comparative more neo-Malthusian, superlative most neo-Malthusian)

comparative more neo-Malthusian · superlative most neo-Malthusian

  1. Relating to Neo-Malthusianism.

    As climate change politics develop, ecofascism and neo-Malthusian thought are also gathering strength.

    2020, Oscar Berglund, Daniel Schmidt, Extinction Rebellion and Climate Change Activism, Springer Nature, →ISBN, page 3
    2 more examples

    In it, [Paul] Ehrlich and his wife, Anne, presented a neo-Malthusian scenario of imminent population explosion and ensuing disaster. "The battle to feed all of humanity is over," the Ehrlichs warned.

    2008 July 15, Edward Hemore, “Paul Ehrlich discusses his ongoing corncerns about population growth”, in The Guardian

    The introduction by Science editors, like the coverage in National Geographic earlier this year, notes the failure, so far, of neo-Malthusian predictions of global doom from overpopulation and centers on the reality that population pressures, and problems, are local and focused in hot spots.

    2011 August 2, Andrew C. Revkin, “A New Look at Population Bombs and Bulges”, in New York Times
nounneo-Malthusian (plural neo-Malthusians)

plural neo-Malthusians

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Neo-Malthusian (“proponent of Neo-Malthusianism”).

    The neo‐Malthusians have for some time dominated discussions of world population. In their gloom, some even calculated a date by which the planet would have so many people that there would be no room for anybody to lie down.

    1978 November 30, “The Population Bomb, Reconsidered”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
    1 more example

    (A side note: Whenever I write about efforts to save children from malaria or diarrhea, I get cynical letters from neo-Malthusians who argue that saving children’s lives is pointless until birthrates drop. That’s incorrect. There’s abundant evidence that when parents are confident that their children will live, they will have fewer and invest more in each of them.)

    2009 April 4, Nicholas Kristof, “Pregnant (Again) and Poor”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

Origin

neo-Malthusian · adjective, noun

From neo- + Malthusian.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: Neo-Malthusian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.