several

American  

[sev-er-uhl, sev-ruhl] / ˈsɛv ər əl, ˈsɛv rəl /

adjective

1. being more than two but fewer than many in number or kind.

   several ways of doing it.

2. respective; individual.

   They went their several ways.

3. separate; different.

   several occasions.

4. Archaic. single; particular.

   an examination of each several case.

5. Law. binding two or more persons who may be sued separately on a common obligation.

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pronoun

(used with a plural verb)

1. several persons or things.

   He's written ten novels, and several have sold very well.

   Several of my friends are divorced.

several British  

/ ˈsɛvrəl /

determiner

1. 1. more than a few; an indefinite small number

      several people objected

   2. ( as pronoun; functioning as plural )

      several of them know

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adjective

1. (prenominal) various; separate

   the members with their several occupations

2. (prenominal) distinct; different

   three several times

3. 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.

Example Sentences

Several companies say ChatGPT is the chatbot of choice for consumers and they are building apps there first before Claude.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Several other Starbucks store employees who spoke with MarketWatch also stated that the new program misses the mark.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Several people familiar with the case said investigators had evidence that González-Colón had spoken to a Group 31 member, but they had not determined whether she was involved in vote buying.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

Several of her songs deal with themes of immigration, politics and war.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Several children peeped out of a back room until the servant shooed them away.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer