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
Power is the first US official to publicly agree with an assessment that famine is already taking place.
—
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Biden's latest comments highlight the differences between Israel and the U.S. over humanitarian aid to people in Gaza, where the war has led to warnings of imminent famine for more than a million people.
—Tia Goldenberg, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
Speaking of which, there is a literal famine in Gaza caused by the war.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
March: Donors deliver aid by air and sea Humanitarian groups warn famine is imminent, and aid routes become deadly flash points.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Malnutrition, especially among Palestinian children, has risen to catastrophic levels, and the United Nations warns that famine may be imminent in northern Gaza.
—Mhari Shaw, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
The assault has precipitated a humanitarian catastrophe and warnings of imminent famine, driving mounting international outrage and accusation of genocide.
—Shira Pinson, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Continue reading … ‘CROSSED THE THRESHOLD' – AOC doubles down on claims Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ with ‘mass famine’ in Gaza.
—Fox News, 25 Mar. 2024
Israel’s retaliatory war has killed 32,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and the United Nations warns that 2 million Gazans are nearing famine.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Biden's latest comments highlight the differences between Israel and the U.S. over humanitarian aid to people in Gaza, where the war has led to warnings of imminent famine for more than a million people.
—Tia Goldenberg, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
Speaking of which, there is a literal famine in Gaza caused by the war.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
March: Donors deliver aid by air and sea Humanitarian groups warn famine is imminent, and aid routes become deadly flash points.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Malnutrition, especially among Palestinian children, has risen to catastrophic levels, and the United Nations warns that famine may be imminent in northern Gaza.
—Mhari Shaw, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
The assault has precipitated a humanitarian catastrophe and warnings of imminent famine, driving mounting international outrage and accusation of genocide.
—Shira Pinson, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Continue reading … ‘CROSSED THE THRESHOLD' – AOC doubles down on claims Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ with ‘mass famine’ in Gaza.
—Fox News, 25 Mar. 2024
Israel’s retaliatory war has killed 32,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and the United Nations warns that 2 million Gazans are nearing famine.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
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 19 Apr. 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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