Dictionary

severity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /səˈvɛɹ.ə.ti/ (General-American)
• /sɪˈvɛɹ.ɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English severity, from Middle French severite (modern French sévérité), from Latin sevēritās. By surface analysis, severe + -ity.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being severe.
   • […] the fear of God whereof ' tis written Keeper : But not the fear of punishment for sin And I can see that the uncertainty In which we act is a severity , A cruelty , amounting to injustice That nothing but God's mercy can assuage . […] 1948, Harold Vinal, Voices, numbers 132-136, →OCLC, page 51:
2. (countable, uncountable) The degree of something undesirable; badness or seriousness.
   • The severity of the offence merits a long prison sentence.

Forms

Deriveds

unseverity · overseverity

Synonyms

severeness

Translations (52)

grc χαλεπότης (state of being severe) · fr sévérité (state of being severe) · cs kritičnost (state of being severe) · ca severitat (state of being severe) · es gravedad (degree of something undesirable; badness) · es seriedad (degree of something undesirable; badness) · fi ankaruus (state of being severe) · ar صَرَامَة (state of being severe) · ro asprime (state of being severe) · tr ciddiyet (degree of something undesirable; badness) · it serietà (degree of something undesirable; badness) · cmn 严厉 (state of being severe) · cs závažnost (state of being severe) · it severità (state of being severe) · cs vážnost (situace) (state of being severe) · nl ernst (degree of something undesirable; badness) · de Stärke (degree of something undesirable; badness) · nl strengheid (state of being severe) · ro severitate (state of being severe) · got 𐍈𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌴𐌹 (state of being severe) · mi pākahatanga (state of being severe) · fi vakavuus (state of being severe) · ga anróiteacht (state of being severe) · es severidad (degree of something undesirable; badness) · tr derece (degree of something undesirable; badness) · vo sevär (state of being severe) · fi pahuus (degree of something undesirable; badness) · it gravità (degree of something undesirable; badness) · cs závažnost (degree of something undesirable; badness) · nl ernst (state of being severe) · ko 엄격함 (state of being severe) · pt severidade (state of being severe) · ru суро́вость (degree of something undesirable; badness) · bg стро́гост (state of being severe) · la severitas (state of being severe) · ru стро́гость (state of being severe) · cmn 严肃性 (degree of something undesirable; badness) · tr şiddet (state of being severe) · fa شدت (degree of something undesirable; badness) · nl slechtheid (degree of something undesirable; badness) · eo severeco (state of being severe) · ota شدت (state of being severe) · es severidad (state of being severe) · pt gravidade (state of being severe) · de Härte (degree of something undesirable; badness) · fr gravité (degree of something undesirable; badness) · bg суровост (state of being severe) · ko 심각함 (state of being severe) · fi kovuus (state of being severe) · nl ongewenstheid (degree of something undesirable; badness) · tr vehamet (state of being severe) · de Gewichtung (degree of something undesirable; badness)