several
Americanadjective
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being more than two but fewer than many in number or kind.
several ways of doing it.
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They went their several ways.
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several occasions.
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Archaic. single; particular.
an examination of each several case.
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Law. binding two or more persons who may be sued separately on a common obligation.
pronoun
determiner
adjective
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(prenominal) various; separate
the members with their several occupations
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(prenominal) distinct; different
three several times
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law capable of being dealt with separately; not shared Compare joint
Etymology
Origin of several
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, equivalent to Latin sēpar “separate” + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Two is a "couple" and more than two or three is several. If you eat four donuts you can say you had several but you may have had too many — especially if you get a stomach-ache. Several is a word that shows size or number when you can’t be specific or when you want to summarize. If three, four, or five of you hang out, then you're spending time with several friends. Inviting 30 people over and telling your parents that several friends stopped by would be stretching the truth and you might get grounded. For how many weeks? Possibly several.
Vocabulary lists containing several
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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"The American Crisis," Vocabulary from 11-A Supernumerary Crisis
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"A Book of Nonsense"
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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.
DiGenova was one of several overlapping supervisors of the probe, with different interests and marching orders, adding to the chaotic nature of the effort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
He has long indicated he thought he should have been awarded the prestigious prize, and was nominated by several allies for it last year.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Pacific has already produced several hurricanes this year, some of which hit maximum Category 5 strength.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
The destination lies on the other side, but there are several possible routes to reach it.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
Mom gasps and runs over, almost bulldozing Bernadette, who’s balancing several baskets.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
