several

1 of 2

adjective

sev·​er·​al ˈse-və-rəl How to pronounce several (audio)
ˈsev-rəl
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
How often inmate escapes occur is dependent on several factors, Bryce Peterson, a senior research scientist at The Center for Justice Research and Innovation, told CBS News. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 18 May 2025 Fans shared several videos of Pascal’s antics at the famed festival, where the actor could be seen laughing and playfighting with Phoenix, 50, smiling with Stone, 36, and — as per usual — being the life of the party. Bailey Richards, People.com, 17 May 2025 In Seminole County, a hotbed of bear encounters several years ago, has seen a dramatic decrease in conflicts with bears since implementing such non-lethal measures as the use of bear proof trash cans. Grant Gelhardt, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025 The director grew up around people battling addiction and has worked with charities dedicated to homelessness in his local East London community for several years. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for several

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Several.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/several. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on several

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