severed

American  

[sev-erd] / ˈsɛv ərd /

adjective

1. separated from the whole or divided into parts, as by cutting or the like.

   The severed cables belonged to two internet companies.

2. (of ties or a relationship) broken off or dissolved.

   One of the greatest tragedies we see in our work is the severed relationships between those in need and their family and friends.

3. Law. (of an estate, titles of a statute, etc.) divided into parts.

   A practice known as severed property, or split estates, allows developers to keep or obtain mineral rights underneath privately owned land.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of sever.

Other Word Forms

• half-severed
  adjective
• unsevered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of severed

sever ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something severed is cut off from its whole. A severed rope turns into two detached and individual pieces. In a severed relationship, people lose communication with one another. To be severed is to be separated completely. Think of a tree branch being cut away from its trunk, or a connection being broken between two friends. The word comes from the Latin separare, meaning "to separate or pull apart." The adjective can refer to physical objects, like ropes or limbs, or to relationships and ties, such as friendships or contracts.

Example Sentences

Indiscernible shapes draped across mannequins, severed sleeves in electric hues, deconstructed pants and endless interactions of athletic forms in morphing neon suits.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

These two countries severed ties in 1975 after failing to reach agreement on a long-standing beef for landlocked Bolivia: access to the Pacific Ocean.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

The Pennsylvanischer Staatsbote probably learned that the Continental Congress had severed ties with Great Britain from a source in the shop of John Dunlap, who had a contract to print the body’s resolutions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

A number of charities have already severed their links with Ferguson after an email from 2011 revealed she called Epstein her "supreme friend" and seemed to apologise for her public criticism of him.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

And yet, at the same time, he was strangely calm—in the moment that his marriage was effectively severed he was on solid ground with her for the first time in months.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• busted
• collapsed
• cracked
• crumbled
• crushed
• damaged
• defective
• demolished
• destroyed
• fractured
• fragmented
• injured
• mangled
• mutilated
• ruptured
• shattered
• smashed
• splintered