sever

verb

sev·​er ˈse-vər 

severed; severing ˈse-və-riŋ 

ˈsev-riŋ

transitive verb

: to put or keep apart : divide

especially : to remove (something, such as a part) by or as if by cutting

intransitive verb

: to become separated

Synonyms

• break up
• decouple
• disassociate
• disconnect
• disjoin
• disjoint
• dissever
• dissociate
• disunite
• divide
• divorce
• part
• ramify
• resolve
• separate
• split
• sunder
• uncouple
• unlink
• unyoke

Choose the Right Synonym for sever

separate, part, divide, sever, sunder, divorce mean to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed.

separate may imply any of several causes such as dispersion, removal of one from others, or presence of an intervening thing.

separated her personal life from her career

part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association.

vowed never to part

divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking.

civil war divided the nation

sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.

a severed limb

sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart.

a city sundered by racial conflict

divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.

cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

Examples of sever in a Sentence

He severed the lowest tree limbs.

His finger was severed in the accident.

Activists are asking the government to sever all diplomatic relations with the country.

Recent Examples on the Web

Snow and subzero temperatures had severed Nome from the outside world. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025

This system severs Black women from what sustains us—our resources, communities, connection to our bodies. —Akilah Sailers, Essence, 5 Apr. 2025

The method of hand-slaughter, Qasim explained, uses a sharp knife to sever the animal’s carotid arteries, resulting in a sudden, virtually painless death. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025

There's crossing the grandparents line and then there's completely severing it. —Devonne Goode, Parents, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French severer, from Latin separare — more at separate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for sever

• bever
• clever
• ever
• haver
• lever
• never
• rever
• cantilever
• howsoever
• whatsoever
• whensoever
• wheresoever

Kids Definition

sever

verb

sev·​er ˈsev-ər 

severed; severing -(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to put or keep apart : divide

especially : to cut off or through

2

: to come or break apart

Legal Definition

sever

transitive verb

sev·​er ˈse-vər 

severed; severing

1

: to end (a joint tenancy) by ending one or all of the unities of time, title, possession, or interest (as by conveying one tenant's interest to another party)

2

: to separate (as a contract) into different parts (as independent obligations) in order to treat each separately

3

a

: to try (criminal offenses or defendants) separately in order to avoid prejudice

b

: to split (a criminal trial) into multiple trials in order to avoid prejudice

c

: to try (civil claims or issues pleaded in the same case) separately

severance

ˈse-vrəns, -və-rens 

noun