severity: Meaning and Definition of

se•ver•i•ty

Pronunciation: (su-ver'i-tē), [key]
— pl. -ties.
  1. harshness, sternness, or rigor: Their lives were marked by severity.
  2. austere simplicity, as of style, manner, or taste: The severity of the decor was striking.
  3. intensity or sharpness, as of cold or pain.
  4. grievousness; hard or trying character or effect: The severity of his loss was finally becoming apparent.
  5. rigid exactness or accuracy.
  6. an instance of strict or severe behavior, punishment, etc.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: