Severity
/səˈvɛr.ɪ.ti/noun
The quality of being strict, harsh, or intense.
Did you know?English severity comes through French and Latin from the idea of being “serious” or “grave,” and it shares deep ancestry with words like grave, serious, and even sovereign through the ancient PIE root *swer-/*ser- tied to weight and seriousness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swer- / *ser-
“A root associated with weight, seriousness, and being of consequence.”
Latin
Latin
severus
“Serious, strict, grave, harsh.”
Latin
Latin
severitas
“Seriousness, strictness, austerity.”
Old French
Old French
severite
“Severity, strictness, harshness.”
Middle English
English
severite
“Harshness or strictness.”
Modern English
English
severity
“The quality of being strict, harsh, or intense.”