several

1 of 2

adjective

sev·​er·​al ˈsev-rəl How to pronounce several (audio)
ˈse-və-
1
a
: separate or distinct from one another
federal union of the several states
b(1)
: individually owned or controlled : exclusive
a several fishery
compare common
(2)
: of or relating separately to each individual involved
a several judgment
c
: being separate and distinctive : respective
specialists in their several fields
2
a
: more than one
several pleas
b
: more than two but fewer than many
moved several inches
c
chiefly dialectal : being a great many

several

2 of 2

pronoun

plural in construction
: an indefinite number more than two and fewer than many
several of the guests

Examples of several in a Sentence

Adjective It took several days for the package to arrive. He arrived several hours ago. We added several more names to the list. The meat can be cooked several ways. There are several similar stores at the mall. a federal union of the several states
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The incident was the latest of several protests on campuses across the country by pro-Palestinian protesters in response to the war between Israel and Hamas and the killing of thousands of Palestinians caught in the cross fire. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2024 There are going to be a billion people in Africa in the next several years. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 8 June 2024 Elliott provided no timetable for presenting her additional ethics ideas to the City Council, but they are expected to come forward in the next several months. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2024 Luckily, Amazon is filled with stylish and breezy vacation-ready outfits, with several options under-$50. Inside Amazon’s Fashion hub is a section dedicated to Warm-weather Getaway Deals. Gabriella Maestri, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for several 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'several.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin separalis, from Latin separ separate, back-formation from separare to separate

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Pronoun

1639, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of several was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near several

Cite this Entry

“Several.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/several. Accessed 11 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

several

1 of 2 adjective
sev·​er·​al ˈsev-(ə-)rəl How to pronounce several (audio)
1
: separate or distinct from one another : different
federal union of the several states
2
: being more than two but not very many
several persons
severally
adverb

several

2 of 2 pronoun
: a small number : more than two but not very many
several of the guests

Legal Definition

several

adjective
sev·​er·​al
1
a
: of or relating separately to each individual involved
specifically : enforceable separately against each party
each promisor owed a several duty
see also several liability at liability sense 2b, several obligation at obligation
b
: being separately or individually responsible, liable, or obligated
a several obligor
compare joint
2
: separate or distinct from one another
to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several StatesU.S. Constitution art. I
severally adverb
Etymology

Adjective

Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin separalis, from Latin separ separate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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