severity
Americannoun
plural
severities-
harshness, sternness, or rigor.
Their lives were marked by severity.
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austere simplicity, as of style, manner, or taste.
The severity of the decor was striking.
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intensity or sharpness, as of cold or pain.
-
grievousness; hard or trying character or effect.
The severity of his loss was finally becoming apparent.
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rigid exactness or accuracy.
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an instance of strict or severe behavior, punishment, etc.
Other Word Forms
- nonseverity noun
- overseverity noun
- superseverity noun
Etymology
Origin of severity
First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin sevēritās, from sevēr(us) severe + -itās -ity
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.
Her parents believe it has helped reduce the severity of frequent seizures which led to many ambulance trips to A&E.
From BBC
Prosecutors in Placer County, at the time, decided not to pursue the case against Funston in Roseville given the severity of the sentences he received in Sacramento County.
From Los Angeles Times
They also point out that many studies lacked direct head to head comparisons, participants differed widely in symptom severity, and some trials allowed additional treatments alongside exercise.
From Science Daily
"We are not celebrating... I have two daughters who are unwell because of the severity of the situation," she said.
From Barron's
"That would reduce mortality, disease severity, and perhaps build up a level of immune resilience that would have a huge impact," says Pulendran.
From BBC
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.
