Severus

American

[suh-veer-uhs] / səˈvɪər əs /

noun

Lucius Septimius a.d. 146–211, Roman emperor 193–211.

Severus British

/ sɪˈvɪərəs /

noun

Lucius Septimius (sɛpˈtɪmɪəs). 146–211 _ad , Roman soldier and emperor (193–211). He waged war successfully against the Parthians (197–202) and spent his last years in Britain (208–211)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

HBO’s Casey Bloys says ‘Harry Potter’ has a ‘serious security team’ because it anticipated the racist backlash for casting Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Severus was born in 145 at Leptis Magna in modern Libya; he never fully lost his North African accent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

By 191, Severus was governor of a province on the upper reaches of the Danube.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

In addition to winged Victories like that shown in the mock-up Trump’s arch, the sculptural program of the Arch of Severus includes depictions of four major battles in Parthia and the spoils of war.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2025

No, I’m pretty sure that’s pure Severus Snape.

From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023