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severity - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'severity' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Severity [ n.]
- The quality or state of being severe.
- Gravity or austerity; extreme strictness; rigor; harshness; as, the severity of a reprimand or a reproof; severity of discipline or government; severity of penalties.
- The quality or power of distressing or paining; extreme degree; extremity; intensity; inclemency; as, the severity of pain or anguish; the severity of cold or heat; the severity of the winter.
- Harshness; cruel treatment; sharpness of punishment; as, severity practiced on prisoners of war.
- Exactness; rigorousness; strictness; as, the severity of a test.

Meaning of 'severity' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . severity [ n]
Meaning (1):
- excessive sternness
Example in sentence:
  • severity of character;
  • the harshness of his punishment was inhuman;
  • the rigors of boot camp
Meaning (2):
- something hard to endure
Example in sentence:
  • the asperity of northern winters

Nearby Words:

seven seven-shooter seven-thirties seven-up sevenfold sevennight sevenscore seventeen seventeenth seventh

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