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
Bimal Kanti PaulA 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
Tom EwingExamples 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
The trial results showed a benefit for both former and current smokers, across all lung‑function severities.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Low snowpack in the Colorado River Basin is likely to become a more frequent issue as planet-warming pollution increases the likelihood, duration, and severity of heat waves.
—Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
However, the show downplays the severity of the incident and most crucially the fact that a child was present and injured in the melee.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
In the mid-stage study, 75% of participants injected once every three months with Apogee’s drug, called zumilokibart, maintained at least a 75% improvement in the extent and severity of skin lesions — a metric dubbed EASI-75 — at one year.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
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Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Low snowpack in the Colorado River Basin is likely to become a more frequent issue as planet-warming pollution increases the likelihood, duration, and severity of heat waves.
—Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
However, the show downplays the severity of the incident and most crucially the fact that a child was present and injured in the melee.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
In the mid-stage study, 75% of participants injected once every three months with Apogee’s drug, called zumilokibart, maintained at least a 75% improvement in the extent and severity of skin lesions — a metric dubbed EASI-75 — at one year.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
Cite this Entry
“Severity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/severity. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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