Meaning
famine, severe scarcity
- An extreme scarcity of food affecting a large population; famine
- A severe lack or shortage of any essential resource
In a sentence
La grave siccità ha causato una terribile carestia in tutta la regione.
The severe drought caused a terrible famine throughout the region.
Molte famiglie emigrarono a causa della carestia che colpì il paese.
Many families emigrated because of the famine that struck the country.
Gli aiuti umanitari non sono bastati a fermare l'imminente carestia.
Humanitarian aid was not enough to halt the impending famine.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| carestia | feminine · singular |
| carestie | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Commonly takes the plural 'carestie'.
- Do not confuse with 'fame' (hunger), which is the sensation rather than the social crisis.