severity

noun

se·​ver·​i·​ty sə-ˈver-ə-tē 

: the quality or state of being severe : the condition of being very bad, serious, unpleasant, or harsh

the severity of the climate

the severity of the punishment

Medication can help shorten the illness and lessen its severity.

To make all coastal residents more aware of the severity of the cyclone hazard, and to increase faith and trust in evacuation orders, the emergency personnel must educate them about the benefits of taking refuge in public shelters prior to an approaching cyclone.

—Bimal Kanti Paul

A dog, like a human, is prone to two broadly defined types of bone fracture—open and closed. Within each category, breaks of varying severity may occur.

—Tom Ewing

Synonyms of severity

• hardness
• strictness
• sternness
• rigidity
• harshness
• stringency
• inflexibility
• rigidness

Examples of severity in a Sentence

even though no one expected the film to be a hit with the critics, the director was taken aback by the severity of the criticism

Recent Examples on the Web

Authorities say the man was taken to an area hospital for treatment, but the severity of his injuries is not yet known. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 27 June 2026

The degree of severity in punishment for violators varies based on the type of force used and the amount of property damage inflicted. — Matthew Kelly july 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

Russia is starting to import gasoline from India, Reuters reported, in a sign of the severity of Moscow’s fuel shortages. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 1 July 2026

There is no question that varying projections of timing and severity of job loss caused by AI make designing such a major job creation strategy an unprecedented challenge. — Gene Sperling, Time, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for severity

• alterity
• asperity
• austerity
• celerity
• dexterity
• disparity
• hilarity
• molarity
• planarity
• polarity
• posterity
• prosperity

Kids Definition

severity

noun

se·​ver·​i·​ty

sə-ˈver-ət-ē

plural severities

: the quality or state of being severe