Involves

Word

Malthusian

mal-THOO-zee-un · adjective

Concerned with population growing faster than the resources needed to support it, especially food

Examples

  • The forecast was Malthusian because it expected population to outpace food supply.

  • A Malthusian model must be tested against changes in farming, fertility, and access to food.

Origin

The adjective comes from Thomas Robert Malthus, whose Essay on the Principle of Population first appeared in 1798. He contrasted unchecked population growth with more limited growth of subsistence. He also considered the forces that limit population growth.

How it connects

Malthusian names the pressure between population and provision.

This word appeared in When population presses against provision, the Involves connection for October 22, 2026, which asked: What happens if the number of people grows faster than their means of support?

Check yourself

Which argument is Malthusian in the relevant sense?

Population threatens to grow faster than the means of supporting it. Exactly. A Malthusian argument concerns population outgrowing the resources needed to support it.

What the sources establish

  • The Malthusian argument compares unchecked population growth with subsistence and includes checks on population.

Sources