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
Its continued aggression against Gaza has killed tens of thousands of civilians, displaced over a million people, and caused a devastating famine that could have been avoided and constitutes a violation of international law.
—
Ben Kelly, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The United Nations and others have warned that the assault will worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis, with parts of the Gaza officially declared under famine.
—Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Much of the population also faces famine and severe hunger, in part due to Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
But aid groups have warned that conditions in the south are also dire, with famine spreading throughout the enclave and supplies of food and medicine scarce.
—Caroline Radnofsky, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
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Ben Kelly, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The United Nations and others have warned that the assault will worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis, with parts of the Gaza officially declared under famine.
—Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Much of the population also faces famine and severe hunger, in part due to Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
But aid groups have warned that conditions in the south are also dire, with famine spreading throughout the enclave and supplies of food and medicine scarce.
—Caroline Radnofsky, NBC news, 18 Sep. 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 24 Sep. 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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