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Webster 1913 Edition


Severity

Se-ver′i-ty

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Severities
(#)
.
[L.
severitas
: cf. F.
sévérité
.]
The quality or state of being severe.
Specifically: –
(a)
Gravity or austerity; extreme strictness; rigor; harshness;
as, the
severity
of a reprimand or a reproof;
severity
of discipline or government;
severity
of penalties
.
“Strict age, and sour severity.”
Milton.
(b)
The quality or power of distressing or paining; extreme degree; extremity; intensity; inclemency;
as, the
severity
of pain or anguish; the
severity
of cold or heat; the
severity
of the winter
.
(c)
Harshness; cruel treatment; sharpness of punishment;
as,
severity
practiced on prisoners of war
.
(d)
Exactness; rigorousness; strictness;
as, the
severity
of a test
.
Confining myself to the
severity
of truth.
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition


Severity

SEVER'ITY

,
Noun.
[L. sveritas.]
1. Harshness; rigor; austerity; want of mildness or indulgence; as the severity of a reprimand or reproof.
2. Rigor; extreme strictness; as the severity of discipline or government.
3. Excessive figor; extreme degree or amount. Severity of penalties or punishments often defeats the object by exciting pity.
4. Extremity; quality or power of distressing; as the severity of pain or anguish.
5. Extreme degree; as the severity of cold or heat.
6. Extreme coldness or inclemency; as the severity of the winter.
7. Harshness; cruel treatment; sharpness of punishment; as severity practiced on prisoners of war.
8. Exactness; rigor; niceness; as the severity of a test.
9. Strictness; rigid accuracy.
Confining myself to the severity of truth. Dryden.

Definition 2024


severity

severity

English

Noun

severity (plural severities)

  1. The state of being severe.
  2. The degree of something undesirable; badness or seriousness.
    The severity of the offence merits a long prison sentence.

Translations