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severity

[ suh-ver-i-tee ]
/ sÉ™Ėˆvɛr ÉŖ ti /
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noun, plural seĀ·verĀ·iĀ·ties.
harshness, sternness, or rigor: Their lives were marked by severity.
austere simplicity, as of style, manner, or taste: The severity of the decor was striking.
intensity or sharpness, as of cold or pain.
grievousness; hard or trying character or effect: The severity of his loss was finally becoming apparent.
rigid exactness or accuracy.
an instance of strict or severe behavior, punishment, etc.
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On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

Origin of severity

1475–85; <Latin sevēritās, equivalent to sevēr(us) severe + -itās-ity

OTHER WORDS FROM severity

nonĀ·seĀ·verĀ·iĀ·ty, noun, plural nonĀ·seĀ·verĀ·iĀ·ties.oĀ·verĀ·seĀ·verĀ·iĀ·ty, nounsuĀ·perĀ·seĀ·verĀ·iĀ·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use severity in a sentence

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