FAMINE meaning : 1. a situation in which there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and…. Learn more. A famine is a severe shortage of food, but not the "I forgot to go to the grocery store and there's nothing to eat in the house" type of shortage. A famine is usually caused by crop failure or disaster. 3 meanings: 1. a severe shortage of food, as through crop failure or overpopulation 2. acute shortage of anything 3. violent.... Click for more definitions. What does famine mean ? Famine is “an extreme crisis of access to adequate food.” Visible in “widespread malnutrition” and “loss of life due to starvation and infectious disease,” famine robs people of their dignity, equality, and for some—their lives. So how do we know a famine is occurring?