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
While news of Chevy's hospitalization did come out at the time, the degree of its severity was not known.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
One study found that taking an elderberry supplement during a cold can help reduce the severity of fever, congestion, cough, and pain.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 26 Dec. 2025
The woman was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where a medical team, led by Qiu Shenqiang, a deputy director of the hospital’s microsurgery unit, determined that conventional reattachment was impossible due to the severity of the injuries.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
Still, after another day of assessing the severity of the injury, Denver determined Johnson will be its third starter to miss a stretch of four or more weeks this season.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severity
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Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
One study found that taking an elderberry supplement during a cold can help reduce the severity of fever, congestion, cough, and pain.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 26 Dec. 2025
The woman was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where a medical team, led by Qiu Shenqiang, a deputy director of the hospital’s microsurgery unit, determined that conventional reattachment was impossible due to the severity of the injuries.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
Still, after another day of assessing the severity of the injury, Denver determined Johnson will be its third starter to miss a stretch of four or more weeks this season.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severity
Cite this Entry
“Severity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/severity. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
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