sternity en · NOUN
Etymology
From stern + -ity.
Meanings
-
(rare, uncountable) The quality of being stern.
Jemmy eyed him but his sternity rotted to foolishness in his stare.
1938, Patrick Kavanagh, The Green Fool, page 98:It is, for lack of a better tag, a public school with a lot of “sternity.”
1978 June 18, Victor Lipman, “A new alternative: basic education”, in New England (Boston Sunday Globe), page 36:wondering what’s wrong / with all these people / how can they live with their sternity
2016, Martin Janello, “Defense and Pretense”, in Shine Knowing Shame: Philosophical Quotes & Poems, Palioxis Publishing, →ISBN:His attitude is that of compassion combind^([sic]) with sternity.
1962, R. L. Tewari, A Critical Study of Loyalties (Galsworthy), Mussoorie: Saraswati Sadan, page 31: