severity
Americannoun
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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.
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing severity
This Week In Words: March 29–April 4, 2020
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
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Tears of a Tiger
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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.
The Met Office Fire Severity Index, external is currently at "Very High" for large areas of the Midlands and southern England from Wednesday to Friday.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2025
The Environmental Protection Agency said that in the lower 48 states from 1895-2020, “the overall trend has been toward wetter conditions,” citing the Palmer Drought Severity Index.
From Washington Times • Sep. 23, 2022
Abatzoglou cites the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which he describes as a general catch-all drought index widely used in the U.S., and part of what informs the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2021
Severity refers to the consequences of a fire, for instance, how many trees are killed.
From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2021
Severity of treatment in design may have been due more to the limitations of technique than to restraint on the part of the painter.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 1 "Gichtel, Johann" to "Glory" by Various
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.
