verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈsɛv.ɚ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsɛv.ə/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛvə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:S EH1 V ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To cut free.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
After he graduated, he severed all links to his family.
to sever the head from the body
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To suffer disjunction; to be parted or separated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To make a separation or distinction; to distinguish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To disconnect; to disunite; to terminate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
cut off from a whole
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
His head was severed from his body
The soul discerped from the body
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: discerp, lop
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cut
6
verb
Meaning 6
set or keep apart
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
sever a relationship
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: break up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: separate, disunite, divide, part
History
Etymology
From Middle English severen, from Old French sevrer, from Latin separāre (“to separate”), from se- (“apart”) + parāre (“provide, arrange”). Doublet of separate, from the past participle of that Latin verb.
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
جَذَبَ
(jaḏaba)
— to cut free
Arabic:
قَطَعَ
(qaṭaʕa)
— to cut free
Arabic:
بَتَّ
(batta)
— to cut free
Azerbaijani:
qırmaq
— to cut free
Bulgarian:
откъсвам
(otkǎsvam)
— to cut free
Bulgarian:
отрязвам
(otrjazvam)
— to cut free
Catalan:
tallar
— to cut free
Catalan:
seccionar
— to cut free
Catalan:
separar
— to cut free
Chinese Mandarin:
斷絕 /断绝
(duànjué)
— to cut free
Dutch:
lossnijden
— to cut free
Dutch:
scheiden
— to cut free
Dyirbal:
nudin (guwal)
— to cut free
Egyptian:
d:n-T30
(dn)
— to cut free
Finnish:
katkaista
— to cut free
Finnish:
kitkeä
— to cut free
French:
rompre
— to cut free
French:
trancher
— to cut free
French:
sectionner
— to cut free
German:
abtrennen
— to cut free
German:
durchtrennen
— to cut free
German:
abbrechen
— to cut free
German:
trennen
— to cut free
Hungarian:
elvág
— to cut free
Italian:
recidere
— to cut free
Italian:
troncare
— to cut free
Italian:
tagliare
— to cut free
Japanese:
切断する
(setsudan suru)
— to cut free
Japanese:
断つ
(tatsu)
— to cut free
Japanese:
断ち切る
(tachikiru)
— to cut free
Korean:
절단하다
(jeoldanhada)
— to cut free
Central Kurdish:
پەڕاندن
(perrandin)
— to cut free
Latin:
praecīdō
— to cut free
Latin:
dēsecō
— to cut free
Latvian:
saraut
— to cut free
Latvian:
nogriezt
— to cut free
Māori:
momotu
— to cut free
Māori:
hāparapara
— to cut free
Occitan:
copar
— to cut free
Occitan:
rompre
— to cut free
Occitan:
talhar
— to cut free
Polish:
odcinać
— to cut free
Polish:
odciąć
— to cut free
Polish:
odrąbywać
— to cut free
Polish:
odrąbać
— to cut free
Polish:
ucinać
— to cut free
Polish:
uciąć
— to cut free
Portuguese:
cortar
— to cut free
Russian:
отреза́ть
(otrezátʹ)
— to cut free
Russian:
отре́зать
(otrézatʹ)
— to cut free
Russian:
разрыва́ть
(razryvátʹ)
— to cut free
Russian:
разорва́ть
(razorvátʹ)
— to cut free
Spanish:
tajar
— to cut free
Spanish:
cercenar
— to cut free
Spanish:
escindir
— to cut free
Spanish:
esñocar
— to cut free
Spanish:
cortar cercén (a)
— to cut free
Swedish:
kapa
— to cut free
Swedish:
klippa av
— to cut free
Swedish:
hugga av
— to cut free
Tamil:
அறு
(aṟu)
— to cut free
Turkish:
ayırmak
— to cut free
Turkish:
kesmek
— to cut free
Turkish:
koparmak
— to cut free
Ottoman Turkish:
یارمق
(yarmak)
— to cut free
ǃXóõ:
gǂqháa
— to cut free
Bulgarian:
откъсвам се
(otkǎsvam se)
— to be parted or separated
Finnish:
joutua eroon
— to be parted or separated
Occitan:
èsser separat
— to be parted or separated
Tamil:
அறு
(aṟu)
— to be parted or separated
Bulgarian:
разделям
(razdeljam)
— to make a separation or distinction
Finnish:
erottaa
— to make a separation or distinction
Finnish:
tehdä ero
— to make a separation or distinction
Occitan:
distinguir
— to make a separation or distinction
Occitan:
diferenciar
— to make a separation or distinction
Occitan:
separar
— to make a separation or distinction
Bulgarian:
разделям
(razdeljam)
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Finnish:
erottaa
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Finnish:
eriyttää
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Finnish:
lopettaa
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Italian:
separare
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Italian:
distaccare
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Italian:
rescindere
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Occitan:
separar
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
Occitan:
desunir
— legal: to disunite; to disconnect; to terminate
