1
: an extreme scarcity of food
The famine affected most of the country.
2
archaic
: starvation
3
archaic
: a ravenous appetite
4
: a great shortage
Transportation problems resulted in a coal famine.
Examples of famine in a Sentence
The famine affected half the continent.
millions killed by war, drought, and famine
Recent Examples on the Web
Israel barred all food and other supplies from entering Gaza for 2 ½ months pending the start of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — a blockade that has brought the population to the brink of famine.
—
Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
Palestinians in Gaza remain at risk of extreme starvation and famine, the United Nations and other aid groups have warned.
—Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 7 June 2025
The other 14 countries on the council voted in favor of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than 2 million people, where famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month.
—Michelle Nichols, USA Today, 5 June 2025
Colonization lasted for more than a century, bringing with it mass murder, famine, disease, displacement, and the settlement of more than a million Europeans on Algerian soil.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
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Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
Palestinians in Gaza remain at risk of extreme starvation and famine, the United Nations and other aid groups have warned.
—Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 7 June 2025
The other 14 countries on the council voted in favor of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than 2 million people, where famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month.
—Michelle Nichols, USA Today, 5 June 2025
Colonization lasted for more than a century, bringing with it mass murder, famine, disease, displacement, and the settlement of more than a million Europeans on Algerian soil.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famine. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
famine
noun
fam·ine
ˈfam-ən 
1
: an extreme general shortage of food
2
: a great shortage
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