How do you pronounce severity?

The recorded pronunciation is /səˈvɛɹ.ə.ti/.

Where does severity come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

severity

/səˈvɛɹ.ə.ti/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.71 in modern English

Syllables: sever-i-ty
IPA: /səˈvɛɹ.ə.ti/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of being severe.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The degree of something undesirable; badness or seriousness.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"[…] 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 . […]"
"The severity of the offence merits a long prison sentence."

Etymology

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

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: severity, severite, sevēritās

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /səˈvɛɹ.ə.ti/
British English: /sɪˈvɛɹ.ɪ.ti/

Usage

Inflected Forms

severities (plural)

Derived Forms

overseverity unseverity

Synonyms

severeness harshness rigor rigour rigorousness rigourousness inclemency hardness stiffness

Rhymes With

charity austerity vulgarity unpopularity garrity insularity gerrity asperity gerety dexterity posterity hilarity