adj :  of or relating to Malthus or to his theory that population tends to increase at a faster rate than its means of subsistence and that unless it is checked by moral restraint or by disease, famine, war, or other disaster widespread poverty and degradation inevitably result Malthusian n 
 
Mal•thus, Thomas Robert (1766-1834), British economist and demographer. Malthus presented his theory of population in An Essay on the Principle of Population, which was first published in 1798 but later expanded and documented. A pioneer in modern demography, he was descriptive rather than prescriptive in his work. An economic pessimist, he viewed poverty as unfortunate as well as inevitable. His thinking later had a profound influence upon Charles Darwin.
 
   
 
Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.  © 1997-2024.