sever
Americanverb (used with object)
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severs,
present (3rd person singular)
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severed,
past participle, past
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severing
present participle
-
to separate (a part) from the whole, as by cutting or the like.
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to divide into parts, especially forcibly; cleave.
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to break off or dissolve (ties, relations, etc.).
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Law. to divide into parts; disunite (an estate, titles of a statute, etc.).
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to distinguish; discriminate between.
verb (used without object)
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severs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
severed,
past participle, past
-
severing
present participle
verb
-
to put or be put apart; separate
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to divide or be divided into parts
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(tr) to break off or dissolve (a tie, relationship, etc)
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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seversimple
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severssimple
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have severedperfect
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has severedperfect
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am severingprogressive
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are severingprogressive
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is severingprogressive
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have been severingperfect progressive
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has been severingperfect progressive
Past
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severedsimple
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had severedperfect
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was severingprogressive
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were severingprogressive
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had been severingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sever
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English severen, from Middle French sev(e)rer; see separate
Explanation
To sever something is to cut it off from the whole. If your girlfriend breaks up with you on your anniversary, you might respond by severing the blossoms off the roses you were planning to give her. (Just an idea.) Sever rhymes with ever, but it looks like the word severe, which means "harsh." The similarity between sever and severe is a good reminder to reserve sever for harsh, unpleasant circumstances. If you’re trimming your fingernails, you might use the word clip, but sever wouldn’t be appropriate. If, however, you somehow cut off your finger while clipping your fingernails, you’re free to use the word sever — or any other word you like — on your way to the hospital.
Vocabulary lists containing sever
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
Now, however, it seems Quaid is ready to sever his remaining ties to California, putting his dwelling on the market for just over $1 million more than he paid for it nearly 10 years ago.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
In Alibaba's case, the company argues that this restriction creates a functional blockade, forcing its long-term American advisers to sever ties to protect their own lucrative defence contracts.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
When the opera company requested the Kennedy Center remedy the issue, center officials asked to sever ties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
It signals to every counterparty transacting with a designated party that it could be next, inducing it to sever its ties to Iranian-linked finance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
No one could be so cruel as to sever such a deep bond.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
For LGBTQ+ Christians, it can be a spiritual one, a forced concealment that severs them from authentic relationships with communities they love and were raised in, and with God.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
“It severs key lines of communication and coordination between vulnerable unaccompanied children and the institutions in place to ensure their protection,” she said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2025
It follows workers at a megacorporation who submit to a procedure that severs their work memories from their personal ones, and it gets wildly weird.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025
The collapse severs the southern stretch of Interstate 695, the portion of the Baltimore Beltway that runs through the heavily industrial areas around the port.
From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2024
In the Greek myth of Prometheus the gift of fire forever severs humankind from the natural world—the burning torch is the icon of the constructed and artificial.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
These are among the most severe forms of DNA damage because both strands of the DNA molecule are severed.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
Foam pieces from the copter’s main rotor blade and a severed bird wing were discovered about 2,000 feet northwest of the crash site, according to the documents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Activists have urged L.A. to join the list of cities that have severed ties with the license plate reader company over concerns about how data is stored and shared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
In the wake of that dispute, the Pentagon severed its contracts with the company, whose AI tools had been the only ones to hold defense security clearance.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
The holly and phoenix wand was nearly severed in two.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
That came after the United Arab Emirates said it was severing economic ties with Tehran over attacks on its shipping.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Alongside the screenshots of her comments in the group chat, she shared a February 2025 exchange with Stenberg that shows the author severing ties with the actor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
“If you say that, you risk severing your relationship with your parent.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Not the part about severing ties to the British crown; that was a fine idea.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
This was the second severing of mother and daughter.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
