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# severity

«severity» in Mova's school dictionary: **how serious, strong or bad something is, such as the…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (severity, uncountable; severities rare)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Severity is how serious, strong or bad something is, such as the severity of an illness, an injury, a storm or a punishment. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#m1)

2) Severity can mean strictness or harshness, as in a teacher's severity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science and safety it is used to rank dangers: storms, earthquakes and allergies are graded by severity. In first aid, you judge the severity of an injury to know whether to call for help. In stories it describes a stern, strict manner. Phrases: «the severity of», «depending on the severity», «reduce the severity».

### examples

- Doctors decide treatment by the severity of the injury. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x1)
- The severity of the storm surprised everyone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x2)
- Earthquakes are measured to show their severity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x3)
- Her allergy varies in severity from a rash to trouble breathing. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x4)
- The punishment was too harsh for the severity of the crime. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x5)
- He spoke with such severity that the room went silent. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x6)
- Wearing a helmet reduces the severity of head injuries. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x7)
- The girl was frightened by her father’s severity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/#x8)

### note

Uncountable. Adjective: severe. Spelling: «severity», not «severety». Similar words: seriousness, strength; for people: strictness, sternness.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «severity» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/severity/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.