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.
Synonyms
Examples of famine in a Sentence
The famine affected half the continent.
millions killed by war, drought, and famine
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, David Satterfield, the U.S. regional envoy for humanitarian issues, said the risk of famine in Gaza, especially in the north, was very high.
—
Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The aid package approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday includes around $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, which experts say is on the brink of famine, and $4 billion for Israel’s missile defense.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for famine 
Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The aid package approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday includes around $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, which experts say is on the brink of famine, and $4 billion for Israel’s missile defense.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for famine
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'famine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near famine
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famine. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
famine
noun
fam·ine
ˈfam-ən 
1
: an extreme general shortage of food
2
: a great shortage
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