sever

verb

sev·​er ˈse-vər How to pronounce sever (audio)
severed; severing ˈse-və-riŋ How to pronounce sever (audio)
ˈsev-riŋ

transitive verb

: to put or keep apart : divide
especially : to remove (something, such as a part) by or as if by cutting

intransitive verb

: to become separated
Choose the Right Synonym for sever

separate, part, divide, sever, sunder, divorce mean to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed.

separate may imply any of several causes such as dispersion, removal of one from others, or presence of an intervening thing.

separated her personal life from her career

part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association.

vowed never to part

divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking.

civil war divided the nation

sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.

a severed limb

sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart.

a city sundered by racial conflict

divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.

cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

Examples of sever in a Sentence

He severed the lowest tree limbs. His finger was severed in the accident. Activists are asking the government to sever all diplomatic relations with the country.
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.
Tehran's shutdown came as part of its crackdown following escalating regional conflict, severing much of the country's digital communication with the outside world. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 Martinez Estrella plunged a large knife into Junior’s throat, severing his jugular vein. John Annese, New York Daily News, 29 June 2025 The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority on Friday severed ties with its tunnel contractor for the San Jose BART extension — a move that transit officials assert won’t impact the project’s overall schedule. Grace Hase, Mercury News, 27 June 2025 Despite keeping work on track, improvised fixes often bypass policies and create unintentional risks that could be pathways for threat actors to cause bigger issues, severing business continuity and compromising customer trust. Daniel Root, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sever

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French severer, from Latin separare — more at separate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of sever was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sever. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sever

verb
sev·​er ˈsev-ər How to pronounce sever (audio)
severed; severing -(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce sever (audio)
1
: to put or keep apart : divide
especially : to cut off or through
2
: to come or break apart

Legal Definition

sever

transitive verb
sev·​er ˈse-vər How to pronounce sever (audio)
severed; severing
1
: to end (a joint tenancy) by ending one or all of the unities of time, title, possession, or interest (as by conveying one tenant's interest to another party)
2
: to separate (as a contract) into different parts (as independent obligations) in order to treat each separately
3
a
: to try (criminal offenses or defendants) separately in order to avoid prejudice
b
: to split (a criminal trial) into multiple trials in order to avoid prejudice
c
: to try (civil claims or issues pleaded in the same case) separately
severance noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sever

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