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
After two years of war, over 30 million people – more than half of them children – are living in the grip of mass atrocities, famine and deadly disease.
—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
This tradition directly results from times of famine and hunger in the country.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
His successor, then-President Joe Biden reversed the move just a month later, citing the difficulties in providing humanitarian aid to Yemen, which concurrently suffers from rampant poverty, famine and disease on top of the civil war.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
For its victim – the U.S. Agency for International Development – is the world’s main funding source for programs to alleviate famine, disease, and the effects of war, and to promote public health, education, conflict resolution, and economic development.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
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Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
This tradition directly results from times of famine and hunger in the country.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
His successor, then-President Joe Biden reversed the move just a month later, citing the difficulties in providing humanitarian aid to Yemen, which concurrently suffers from rampant poverty, famine and disease on top of the civil war.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
For its victim – the U.S. Agency for International Development – is the world’s main funding source for programs to alleviate famine, disease, and the effects of war, and to promote public health, education, conflict resolution, and economic development.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 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 23 Mar. 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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