severity
/sɪˈvɛɹ.ɪ.ti/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: severities
Sense 1
Meaning · English
The state of being severe.
Noun
Examples
[…] the fear of God whereof ' tis written Keeper : But not the fear of punishment for sin
And I can see that the uncertainty In which we act is a severity ,
A cruelty , amounting to injustice
That nothing but God's mercy can assuage . […]
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
The degree of something undesirable; badness or seriousness.
Noun
Examples
The severity of the offence merits a long prison sentence.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “severity” mean?
The state of being severe.
Is “severity” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.