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several

[ sev-er-uhl, sev-ruhl ]
/ ˈsɛv ər əl, ˈsɛv rəl /
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See synonyms for several on Thesaurus.com
adjective
being more than two but fewer than many in number or kind: several ways of doing it.
respective; individual: They went their several ways.
separate; different: several occasions.
Archaic. single; particular: an examination of each several case.
Law. binding two or more persons who may be sued separately on a common obligation.
pronoun (used with a plural verb)
several persons or things: He's written ten novels, and several have sold very well.Several of my friends are divorced.
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Origin of several

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, equivalent to Latin sēpar “separate” + -ālis -al1

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH several

couple, pair, several

Words nearby several

Seven Wonders of the World, seven-year itch, Seven Years' War, sever, severable, several, severalfold, severally, severalty, severance, severance pay
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to several

a few, a lot, any, certain, considerable, definite, different, disparate, distinct, divers, diverse, handful, indefinite, individual, infrequent, manifold, many, numerous, particular, personal

How to use several in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for several

several
/ (ˈsɛvrəl) /
determiner
  1. more than a few; an indefinite small numberseveral people objected
  2. (as pronoun; functioning as plural)several of them know
adjective
(prenominal) various; separatethe members with their several occupations
(prenominal) distinct; differentthree several times
law capable of being dealt with separately; not sharedCompare joint (def. 15)

Word Origin for several

C15: via Anglo-French from Medieval Latin sēparālis, from Latin sēpār, from sēparāre to separate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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