severity
The state of being severe.
Noun
- The state of being severe.
- […] the fear of God whereof ' tis written Keeper : But not the fear of punishment for sin And I can see that the uncertainty In which we act is a severity , A cruelty , amounting to injustice That nothing but God's...
- The degree of something undesirable; badness or seriousness.
- The severity of the offence merits a long prison sentence.
Origin
From Middle English severity, from Middle French severite (modern French sévérité), from Latin sevēritās. By surface analysis, severe + -ity.