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
Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has come in is nowhere near enough to meet mounting needs.
—
Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
After more than two months without aid entering Gaza, raising the risk of famine for millions of people, some aid trucks have begun entering the territory in the past few days.
—Kerem Inal, ABC News, 26 May 2025
Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has come in is nowhere near enough to meeting mounting needs.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025
The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between the army and the RSF, unleashing waves of ethnic violence, creating the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and plunging several areas into famine.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
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Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
After more than two months without aid entering Gaza, raising the risk of famine for millions of people, some aid trucks have begun entering the territory in the past few days.
—Kerem Inal, ABC News, 26 May 2025
Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has come in is nowhere near enough to meeting mounting needs.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025
The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between the army and the RSF, unleashing waves of ethnic violence, creating the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and plunging several areas into famine.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 23 May 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 4 Jun. 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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