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starvation

American  
[stahr-vey-shuhn] / stɑrˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act or state of starving; condition of being starved.

adjective

  1. liable or seeming to cause starving.

    a starvation diet.
starvation British  
/ stɑːˈveɪʃən /

noun

    1. the act or an instance of starving or state of being starved

    2. ( as modifier )

      a starvation diet

      starvation wages
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of starvation

First recorded in 1770–80; starve + -ation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She says that studies in mice have shown that starvation enhances the animal’s tolerance to chemotherapy doses but can’t cure the disease outright.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The cars' energy starvation has changed the nature of driving.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Crops needed to stave off starvation have been decimated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Hundreds of thousands face starvation across the region, where more than 65,000 people have been displaced since October, according to the latest UN figures.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

What would become of Bunnicula, my new friend, who was suffering from starvation?

From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.