famine
B2formal, academic, journalistic, historical
Definition
Meaning
Extreme scarcity of food in a region, causing widespread hunger and death.
A severe shortage of anything essential; metaphorical use for scarcity of resources, information, or affection.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to a large-scale, collective catastrophe rather than individual hunger. Implies systemic failure, often man-made or political in origin, beyond mere drought or crop failure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical. 'Famine' is the standard term in both varieties. The concept may be more historically resonant in UK/Irish contexts (e.g., Irish Potato Famine).
Connotations
Strong connotations of historical tragedy, humanitarian crisis, and government failure. In US contexts, often associated with foreign disasters.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English due to historical and Commonwealth reporting on African/Asian famines.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
famine in [region]famine caused by [drought/war]famine resulting fromfamine due tofamine of [resource/metaphorical]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “feast or famine”
- “a famine in the land”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except metaphorically: 'a famine of investment', 'a talent famine'.
Academic
Frequent in history, economics, political science, and development studies.
Everyday
Used for serious news discussions about humanitarian crises.
Technical
Used in agronomy, disaster management, and humanitarian aid contexts with specific criteria (e.g., IPC Famine Classification).
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- famine-stricken regions
- famine relief efforts
American English
- famine-ravaged country
- famine conditions
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The long drought caused a famine.
- Many people died in the famine.
- International aid was sent to the country suffering from famine.
- The war created a famine because farmers couldn't plant crops.
- Historians debate whether the famine was caused more by natural disaster or political mismanagement.
- A sophisticated early warning system can help prevent famines.
- The report highlighted the nexus between conflict, governance failure, and chronic famine.
- The poet described the spiritual famine of the modern age, a lack of meaning amidst material plenty.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
FAMINE sounds like 'famished' - both come from Latin *fames* (hunger). Think: FAMINE = FAMished times NINE (as in, many people).
Conceptual Metaphor
HUNGER IS AN AGGRESSOR (famine strikes, ravages); SCARCITY IS EMPTINESS (a famine of ideas).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'голод' (golod), which can mean general hunger. 'Famine' is specifically массовый голод. Using 'famine' for personal hunger is incorrect.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'famine' for personal hunger (e.g., 'I have a famine' is wrong).
- Confusing 'famine' with 'drought' (drought is a cause, famine is the result).
- Misspelling as 'famina' or 'famin'.
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario best describes a 'famine'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Hunger' is the physical sensation. 'Starvation' is the process of dying from hunger. 'Famine' is the large-scale social phenomenon where a population experiences extreme starvation due to food scarcity.
Yes, e.g., 'a famine of new ideas in the department' or 'a news famine during the quiet summer months.' It means a severe lack.
It can be both. Uncountable: 'The region is threatened by famine.' Countable: 'The country has suffered several famines in its history.'
It describes an unstable situation where one experiences either extreme abundance ('feast') or extreme scarcity ('famine'), with no middle ground. Common for freelance work: 'For freelancers, it's often feast or famine.'
Collections
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Global Issues
B2 · 47 words · Vocabulary for discussing world problems and politics.
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