starvation

noun

star·​va·​tion stär-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the act or an instance of starving

2

: the state of being starved

Examples of starvation in a Sentence

The famine brought mass starvation.

Millions of people face starvation every day.

Recent Examples on the Web

That means making sure humanitarian groups can get into conflict zones, protecting agricultural infrastructure from attacks, and prohibiting the use of starvation as a weapon of war. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Penn State researchers developed a wearable sensor that continuously monitors low rates of perspiration for lactate, a biomarker that can indicate oxygen starvation in tissues. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026

The death of the family members by thirst and starvation was definitely a possibility. — David Shulman, The New York Review of Books, 26 Aug. 2026

The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care due to its radical policies. — Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing starvation

• starvation diet
• starvation wages

Rhymes for starvation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

starvation

noun

star·​va·​tion stär-ˈvā-shən 

: the act or an instance of starving : the state of being starved

Medical Definition

starvation

noun

star·​va·​tion stär-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the act or an instance of starving

2

: the state of being starved