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
Garland gives the character several opportunities to reconnect with her humanity, even as this tense, increasingly brutal road trip pushes the team deeper into the proverbial heart of darkness. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 And because of the tie-in several audience members appeared to believe the protests were part of the production. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 This kind of presentation isn’t new for the controversial rapper now known as Ye, who’s introduced his last several albums with high-profile listening events held in arenas and stadiums around the country. Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 But residents of several D.C. apartment buildings told The Post their landlords weren’t enforcing these rules. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Lava flows, hydrated mineral deposits as well as pyroclastic deposits made of volcanic particulate materials such as ash, cinders, pumice and tephra, occur in several areas within the structure’s perimeter. Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 On the market for a while, the place first went up for sale at $2.8 million this past September and has subsequently undergone several price reductions. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Correction: An earlier version of this story included several photo captions that incorrectly identified where they were taken. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The Pirates had the ball in Lakewood’s end of the field several times with Hassan Diaz shooting high and over the goal and Braulio Ibarra firing for 30 yards out only to be stopped in a great diving stop by Diego Ortiz. Just before Ibarra’s shot, Oceanside misfired on a cross. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024

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 18 Mar. 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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