- to put or be put apart; separate
- to divide or be divided into parts
- (transitive) to break off or dissolve (a tie, relationship, etc)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
sev•er /ˈsɛvɚ/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to separate (a part) from the whole, as by cutting:His leg had been severed in an accident.
- to break off or dissolve (relations, etc.):The government has severed all diplomatic relations.
sev•er
(sev′ər),USA pronunciation v.t.
v.i.
- to separate (a part) from the whole, as by cutting or the like.
- to divide into parts, esp. forcibly;
cleave. - to break off or dissolve (ties, relations, etc.).
- Lawto divide into parts;
disunite (an estate, titles of a statute, etc.). - to distinguish;
discriminate between.
v.i.
- to become separated from each other;
become divided into parts.
- Middle French sev(e)rer to separate
- Middle English severen 1300–50
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sever /ˈsɛvə/ vb
'severed' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
break off
- separate
- severable
- severance
- bite
- cord blood
- half-severed
- inseverable
- Jívaro
- microsurgery
- radio knife
- replant
- reproduce
- union
- vasovasostomy
- scalp
- split-brain