starvation

noun

star·​va·​tion stär-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce starvation (audio)
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 The United Nations says one-quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million people face starvation. Tara Copp, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2024 Nearly five months into Israel’s offensive, Palestinian children in Gaza are living with violence, homelessness, starvation, and disruption to education. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 The health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday that 700,000 people in the north were suffering from starvation. Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The United Nations and aid agencies have warned of mass starvation as aid deliveries over land prove increasingly difficult. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Several animals at a zoo in Gaza have reportedly died from starvation, according to Al Jazeera, which said the ongoing siege and fighting prevented staff from being able to feed the animals. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 The experiments involved depriving children of nutrition in the name of science and allowing conditions of virtual starvation to continue. Leo Sands, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 The report highlighted environmental deaths such as dehydration and starvation, along with drownings in the Colorado River, as additional factors contributing to the park's mortality rate. The Arizona Republic, 25 Feb. 2024 Going from plenty to starvation happened in a short period, just three or four years. Patrick Frater, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'starvation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of starvation was in 1762

Dictionary Entries Near starvation

Cite this Entry

“Starvation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starvation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

starvation

noun
star·​va·​tion stär-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce starvation (audio)
: the act or an instance of starving : the state of being starved

Medical Definition

starvation

noun
star·​va·​tion stär-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce starvation (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of starving
2
: the state of being starved
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!