severity

American  

[suh-ver-i-tee] / səˈvɛr ɪ ti /

noun

plural

severities

1. harshness, sternness, or rigor.

   Their lives were marked by severity.

2. austere simplicity, as of style, manner, or taste.

   The severity of the decor was striking.

3. intensity or sharpness, as of cold or pain.

4. grievousness; hard or trying character or effect.

   The severity of his loss was finally becoming apparent.

5. rigid exactness or accuracy.

6. an instance of strict or severe behavior, punishment, etc.

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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

Explanation

Severity is a plain, no-frills hardness––or the degree of hardness. You might talk about the severity of the northern winter, or the severity of your grandfather's discipline. Severity, with its root in severe, has several nuances. It can mean a hardship, like war’s severity. It also refers to an extreme plainness. Think of the severity of Amish life: no phones, cars, or other modern technology. And you might use it to describe your math teacher’s manner: his severity is indicated by his short, clipped sentences, angry stare, and propensity to fail students without mercy.

Example Sentences

“For markets, the key point is today’s shock isn’t hitting the severity thresholds of past oil shocks, on a whole range of metrics,” said Allen.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

In the yearlong Phase 2b study, nearly 40% of patients who received Nektar’s treatment, rezpegaldesleukin, showed a 50% or better improvement in their severity of alopecia score, compared to 13.6% of placebo patients.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

The race was initially halted by a red flag before it was eventually suspended an hour later once the severity of the the multi-car collision became apparent.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Financial markets didn’t fully grasp the severity of the constraints in the physical flow of oil, said Chevron CEO Mike Wirth at an energy conference in Houston last month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Rowan said with such severity, it was clear that he had a history with the scythe as well.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• harshness