Severity

How to spell severity

8 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce severity

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does severity mean?

1. nounThe degree to which something is serious, intense, or grave.
2. nounStrictness or harshness in attitude, manner, or punishment.

Severity in a sentence

• Doctors graded the severity of the injury before deciding on surgery.

• The severity of the sentence shocked even the prosecution.

• The report measured the severity of the storm by its wind speed and damage.

• His teacher was known for the severity of her discipline.

Where does severity come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin adjective severus, which meant 'stern', 'strict', or 'serious', the same sense an unsmiling judge or a harsh winter might carry. From that adjective Latin built the noun severitas, the abstract quality of being severe. English took the word in the late 1400s by way of Old French severite, and it has kept both the moral sense (sternness or harshness of treatment) and the descriptive sense (the seriousness or intensity of something). The very same root survives in the everyday adjective 'severe', so remembering that pair helps fix the single 'r' and the smooth -ity ending. The spelling is largely transparent; the only real trap is the unstressed final syllable, which sounds like a vague schwa rather than the 'i' that is actually written.

How the word is built

• sever- (from Latin severus: stern, strict)
• -ity (noun suffix forming a quality)