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
How to balance the risk between the impacts of an autoimmune disease, which can range widely in severity, and the difficult-to-quantify risk of future side effects or cancers remains a major open question.
—Amber Dance, ArsTechnica, 17 May 2026
Many parents didn’t initially realize the potential severity of the illness, Peters said.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The data illustrates the severity of this burgeoning crisis.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 16 May 2026
The authors of the paper looked not just at the number of incidents, but also the severity—how many battles were waged in ongoing fighting, for example.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
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Amber Dance, ArsTechnica, 17 May 2026
Many parents didn’t initially realize the potential severity of the illness, Peters said.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The data illustrates the severity of this burgeoning crisis.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 16 May 2026
The authors of the paper looked not just at the number of incidents, but also the severity—how many battles were waged in ongoing fighting, for example.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for severity
Cite this Entry
“Severity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/severity. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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