severed

[ sev-erd ]

adjective

1. separated from the whole or divided into parts, as by cutting or the like:

   The severed cables belonged to two internet companies.

2. (of ties or a relationship) broken off or dissolved:

   One of the greatest tragedies we see in our work is the severed relationships between those in need and their family and friends.

3. Law. (of an estate, titles of a statute, etc.) divided into parts:

   A practice known as severed property, or split estates, allows developers to keep or obtain mineral rights underneath privately owned land.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of sever.

Other Words From

• half-sev·ered adjective
• un·sev·ered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of severed¹

sever ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Indeed, Mr. Reed is almost immediately identified as a Very Bad Guy, who draws two likable young Mormons to his home by expressing interest in their church, then locks them in, communications severed from the outside world, for a coerced and increasingly menacing TED Talk that culminates with a direct challenge of faith.

From Los Angeles Times

His severed head was propped up outside.

From Los Angeles Times

It shows a corpse whose head and arms have been severed, and the stomach cut open.

From BBC

Relations between Morocco and Algeria have become especially tense in recent years, with Algiers announcing in 2021 that it had severed diplomatic ties with its neighbour to the west.

From BBC

The next, we look for a severed digit at Cambridge in 1939.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• busted
• collapsed
• cracked
• crumbled
• crushed
• damaged
• defective
• demolished
• destroyed
• fractured
• fragmented
• injured
• mangled
• mutilated
• ruptured
• shattered
• smashed
• splintered