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

During the sentencing, Kavedza said that 183 victims died of starvation, defined as a complete lack of food, and the deaths of the other eight were classified as murder by direct homicide. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

Postmortem findings cited by the judge showed that starvation was not the only cause of death. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026

The town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region was home to some 2,000 remaining residents on the brink of starvation. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026

Lead poisoning can cause brain swelling, trouble breathing, weak muscles, dehydration, starvation, kidney and liver problems, or seizures, Young explains. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 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