severance

American  

[sev-er-uhns, sev-ruhns] / ˈsɛv ər əns, ˈsɛv rəns /

noun

severances plural

1. the act of severing or the state of being severed.

2. a breaking off, as of a friendship.

3. Law. a division into parts, as of liabilities or provisions; removal of a part from the whole.

4. severance pay.

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severance British  

/ ˈsɛvərəns /

noun

1. the act of severing or state of being severed

2. a separation

3. law the division into separate parts of a joint estate, contract, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonseverance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• severances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of severance

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English severaunce, from Anglo-French; equivalent to sever + -ance

Explanation

A severance is the ending of a connection or relationship. A terrible argument between you and your cousin could turn into an all-out feud and eventually a complete severance between the two branches of your family. The noun severance implies a separation or cut of some kind, like a severance between your father and the political party with which he has become disenchanted. If you cut off relations with a person, group, or organization, you've initiated a severance. The phrase "severance pay" means the deal a company offers to an employee who's being let go. Severance comes from the word sever, "to cut," whose origin is the Latin separare, or "separate."

Example Sentences

Meta is seeking damages and sanctions amounting to more than $50,000 per violation of her severance agreement, according to Wynn-Williams’s complaint.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

The cloud-computing and database giant also reported $1.84 billion in severance and other costs tied to restructuring in the past fiscal year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

The laid off employees have been provided with severance packages and are encouraged to apply for other open roles with Rivian, the company said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

Robinhood cited record June trading volumes as it announced $20 million in severance costs for the second quarter 2026 restructuring.

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

Thus, while the bearer is no longer a member of our scholastic family, it is highly important that his severance with the college be executed as painlessly as possible.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison