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
Advertisement Advertisement Apologists for Israeli Government policy may argue that Israel is not intentionally starving people in Gaza, dismissing the famine as a sad consequence of a war, but the traditional Jewish sources are unequivocal.
—
Michael S. Roth, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
During China’s Great Leap Forward, village officials, under intense pressure to meet agricultural-production standards, routinely inflated their figures, further driving up targets and contributing to a famine that caused tens of millions of deaths.
—Fergus McIntosh, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
At least 40 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Gaza, including 10 seeking aid, health authorities said on August 4, adding that another five had died of starvation in what humanitarian agencies warn may be an unfolding famine.
—USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
The international community must come together to ensure that the concerning predictions of famine and death do not materialize.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
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Michael S. Roth, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
During China’s Great Leap Forward, village officials, under intense pressure to meet agricultural-production standards, routinely inflated their figures, further driving up targets and contributing to a famine that caused tens of millions of deaths.
—Fergus McIntosh, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
At least 40 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Gaza, including 10 seeking aid, health authorities said on August 4, adding that another five had died of starvation in what humanitarian agencies warn may be an unfolding famine.
—USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
The international community must come together to ensure that the concerning predictions of famine and death do not materialize.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 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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