severity

From Middle English severity, from Middle French severite (modern French sévérité), from Latin sevēritās.^[1] By surface analysis, severe +‎ -ity.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /sɪˈvɛɹɪti/
• (US) IPA^(key): /səˈvɛɹəti/

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• (Indic) IPA^(key): /səˈvɪɐɾɪti/, /səˈvɪæɾɪti/
• Rhymes: -ɛɹɪti

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.

• severeness