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

Depending on the severity of the injury, Simons could miss a significant portion of next season too. —Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

The severity of Martin’s injury isn’t yet known. —Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026

The severity of the injury and long-term prognosis for Lundkvist is still TBD. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2026

Chernobyl is one of only two nuclear accidents rated at the maximum severity on the International Nuclear Event Scale, the other being the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 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