severity
Americannoun
-
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of severity
First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin sevēritās, from sevēr(us) severe + -itās -ity
Explanation
Severity is a plain, no-frills hardness––or the degree of hardness. You might talk about the severity of the northern winter, or the severity of your grandfather's discipline. Severity, with its root in severe, has several nuances. It can mean a hardship, like war’s severity. It also refers to an extreme plainness. Think of the severity of Amish life: no phones, cars, or other modern technology. And you might use it to describe your math teacher’s manner: his severity is indicated by his short, clipped sentences, angry stare, and propensity to fail students without mercy.
Vocabulary lists containing severity
This Week In Words: March 29–April 4, 2020
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Tears of a Tiger
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Severity of the initial disease can’t perfectly predict the aftermath: debilitating symptoms have set in for people with mild initial infections.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
Wildfires: California recently released its latest Fire Hazard Severity Zone map, with Kern County having 641,441 acres ranked very high for wildfire risk, mostly in mountainous areas, The Bakersfield Californian reports.
From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2022
The Environmental Protection Agency said that in the lower 48 states from 1895-2020, “the overall trend has been toward wetter conditions,” citing the Palmer Drought Severity Index.
From Washington Times • Sep. 23, 2022
The estimates come from a nationally representative YouGov poll of 9,649 women, using a recognised scoring system - Problem Gambling Severity Index - to measure gambling harms.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2022
Severity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Webster, Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
