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
In the first half of the 16th century, the region experienced years of intense heat and droughts which negatively affected crops and led to famine.
—
Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
The first half of the 16th century was marked by extreme weather events, including hot summers and severe droughts — particularly between 1527 and 1544 — that devastated agriculture and led to famine.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2025
The following year, United Nations peacekeepers sought to secure trade routes for Somalis to help alleviate starvation and famine.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
But regardless of the reason, by the following morning, an agency that annually disburses tens of billions of dollars across the globe, fighting famine and disease and bringing clean water to millions, had mostly ceased to function.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
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Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
The first half of the 16th century was marked by extreme weather events, including hot summers and severe droughts — particularly between 1527 and 1544 — that devastated agriculture and led to famine.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2025
The following year, United Nations peacekeepers sought to secure trade routes for Somalis to help alleviate starvation and famine.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
But regardless of the reason, by the following morning, an agency that annually disburses tens of billions of dollars across the globe, fighting famine and disease and bringing clean water to millions, had mostly ceased to function.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 7 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 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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