English

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Etymology

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From severe +‎ -ity, from Middle French severite, from Latin severitas.

Pronunciation

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  • (US) IPA(key): /səˈvɛɹəti/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛɹəti

Noun

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severity (countable and uncountable, plural severities)

  1. The state of being severe.
    • 1948, Harold Vinal, Voices[1], numbers 132-136, →OCLC, page 51:
      [] the fear of God whereof ' tis written Keeper : But not the fear of punishment for sin
      And I can see that the uncertainty In which we act is a severity ,
      A cruelty , amounting to injustice
      That nothing but God's mercy can assuage . []
  2. The degree of something undesirable; badness or seriousness.
    The severity of the offence merits a long prison sentence.

Synonyms

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Translations

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