sever
Americanverb (used with object)
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to separate (a part) from the whole, as by cutting or the like.
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to divide into parts, especially forcibly; cleave.
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to break off or dissolve (ties, relations, etc.).
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Law. to divide into parts; disunite (an estate, titles of a statute, etc.).
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to distinguish; discriminate between.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to put or be put apart; separate
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to divide or be divided into parts
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(tr) to break off or dissolve (a tie, relationship, etc)
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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seversimple
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severssimple
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have severedperfect
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has severedperfect
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am severingprogressive
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are severingprogressive
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is severingprogressive
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have been severingperfect progressive
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has been severingperfect progressive
Past
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severedsimple
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had severedperfect
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was severingprogressive
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were severingprogressive
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had been severingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sever
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English severen, from Middle French sev(e)rer; see separate
Explanation
To sever something is to cut it off from the whole. If your girlfriend breaks up with you on your anniversary, you might respond by severing the blossoms off the roses you were planning to give her. (Just an idea.) Sever rhymes with ever, but it looks like the word severe, which means "harsh." The similarity between sever and severe is a good reminder to reserve sever for harsh, unpleasant circumstances. If you’re trimming your fingernails, you might use the word clip, but sever wouldn’t be appropriate. If, however, you somehow cut off your finger while clipping your fingernails, you’re free to use the word sever — or any other word you like — on your way to the hospital.
Vocabulary lists containing sever
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Now, however, it seems Quaid is ready to sever his remaining ties to California, putting his dwelling on the market for just over $1 million more than he paid for it nearly 10 years ago.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
But for all their anger at being caught in the middle of a war they didn't want and tried hard to avoid, Vaez doubts any are ready to sever their ties with the US military.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
When the opera company requested the Kennedy Center remedy the issue, center officials asked to sever ties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Visa and Mastercard payments in Cuba will be suspended from Saturday after US sanctions prompted a foreign bank to sever ties with a state-backed financial institution, Cuba's central bank said Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
Now he could no more excise it from his brain cells than he could sever his past from his future.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
For LGBTQ+ Christians, it can be a spiritual one, a forced concealment that severs them from authentic relationships with communities they love and were raised in, and with God.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
But Microsoft, Amazon and Google say they already offer solutions that address concerns about digital sovereignty, solutions which store data on severs in the clients' country or region, not in the US.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2025
“It severs key lines of communication and coordination between vulnerable unaccompanied children and the institutions in place to ensure their protection,” she said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2025
It follows workers at a megacorporation who submit to a procedure that severs their work memories from their personal ones, and it gets wildly weird.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025
In the Greek myth of Prometheus the gift of fire forever severs humankind from the natural world—the burning torch is the icon of the constructed and artificial.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Foam pieces from the copter’s main rotor blade and a severed bird wing were discovered about 2,000 feet northwest of the crash site, according to the documents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
The UN's refugee agency said on Tuesday that food shortages were widespread, basic services had broken down and communications had been largely severed in La Guaira.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
As CEO, van Raemdonck closed stores, cut staff, and severed some partnerships, The Wall Street Journal reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Two women dressed in green and pink fur cradle each other’s heads, reimagining medieval depictions of cephalophores — Christian martyrs who carry their severed heads while continuing to preach or pray.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
I severed my connection to the sand story above our heads and shoved everyone toward the entrance.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
“If you say that, you risk severing your relationship with your parent.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Not the part about severing ties to the British crown; that was a fine idea.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
In a statement released Wednesday, Cuba's central bank said a foreign bank was severing ties with Fincimex S.A.,
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
Iraola - who was appointed by Hughes at Bournemouth - is the leading candidate and contact has already been made, with his immediate availability also playing a part in severing ties with Slot.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
My hand jerks; the shears snap shut, severing the stem.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
