Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Being of a number more than two or three but not many: several miles away.
- adj. Single; distinct: "Pshaw! said I, with an air of carelessness, three several times” ( Laurence Sterne).
- adj. Respectively different; various: They parted and went their several ways. See Synonyms at distinct.
- adj. Law Relating separately to each party of a bond or note.
- pro. An indefinite but small number; some or a few: Several of the workers went home sick.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Separated; apart; not together.
- Individual; not common to two or more; separate; particular.
- Different; diverse; various; as, they went their several ways; it has happened three several times.
- Single; particular; distinct.
- In law, separable and capable of being treated as separate from, though it may be not wholly independent of, another. Thus, a several obligation is one incurred by one person alone, as a bond by a single obligor, or concurrently with others, as in a subscription paper, in which latter case, though his prom ise is in a measure dependent on that of the other subscribers, the obligation of each may be several; while, on the other hand, in a contract by partners or an instrument-expressed to be joint, the obligors are not at common law severally liable, but either has the right to have the others joined in an action to enforce payment. So a several estate is one which belongs to one person alone, and, although it may in a sense be dependent on others, it is not shared by others during its continuance. (See
estate , 5.) A joint and several obligation is one which so far partakes of both quali ties that the creditor may in general treat it in either way, by joining all or suing each one separately. - Consisting of or comprising an indefinite number greater than one; more than one or two, but not many; divers.
- = Syn. 2–4. Distinct, etc. See different.
- n. That which is separate; a particular or peculiar thing; a private or personal possession.
- n. A particular person; an individual.
- n. An inclosed or separate place; specifically, a piece of inclosed ground adjoining a common field; an inclosed pasture or field, as opposed to an open field or common.
- n. An outer garment for women, introduced about 1860 and named in France from the English word, in allusion to the different uses to which the garment could be put: its form could be changed by folding, buttoning, etc., so that it should make a shawl, a burnoose, or other garment at pleasure.
- Separately; individually; diversely; in different ways.
- To divide or break up into severals; make several instead of common.
Wiktionary
- Separate, distinct; particular. [15th-19th c.]
- A number of different; various. (Now merged into later senses, below) [from 16th c.]
- Consisting of a number more than two or three but not very many; diverse. [from 17th c.]
- adv. By itself; severally.
- n. An area of land in private ownership (as opposed to common land).
- n. Each particular taken singly; an item; a detail; an individual.
- n. An enclosed or separate place; enclosure.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Separate; distinct; particular; single.
- adj. Diverse; different; various.
- adj. Consisting of a number more than two, but not very many; divers; sundry.
- adv. By itself; severally.
- n. Each particular taken singly; an item; a detail; an individual.
- n. Persons oe objects, more than two, but not very many.
- n. An inclosed or separate place; inclosure.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. considered individually
- adj. distinct and individual
- adj. (used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
Etymologies
- Middle English, separate, from Anglo-Norman, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, sēperālis, from Latin sēpar, from sēparāre, to separate; see separate.
Examples
“I think if several citizens in every Congressional district in the country contacted the office of their Congressional representatives to inform them that when the PUBLIC SERVANT returns home to make their next hometown public appearance, __several large gentlemen from the local neighborhood are making serious plansto lay hands on them with the intent to execute a Citizens Arrestand deliver them tothe local constabulary for processing and Felony chargesunder the US Code.”
“Thus, the time taken to reach the climax, or last act of the performance, may be a few seconds, or several minutes, may require a mere half dozen motions, or _several hundred!”
“But he had to shout his name several times, even though he was standing in front of her.”
“Mr. Muhammad, a U.S. citizen, was born Carlos Bledsoe but changed his name several years ago after converting to Islam.”
The Wall Street Journal: Man Who Shot Soldiers in Arkansas Pleads Guilty
“Calverley said he asked the teenager his name several times and, after the teen refused to give it, he grabbed Latson, told him that he was under arrest and bent him over the hood of a car.”
The Washington Post: In Va. assault case, anxious parents recognize 'dark side of autism'
“My favorite was Pabst, a boxer mix adopted by Miles Egstad of Citrus Heights, California, who won the title several years ago and seems, like his owner, to be a lot more emotionally balanced than some of the other people interviewed for this film.”
The Huffington Post: George Heymont: The Irrationality of Love and Art
“In explaining this, Shepherd used the word several more times.”
“Repeat the word several times until you can tell something has cleared, indicated by your feeling lighter, more at ease, freer, tingly, or more open to new possibilities.”
“Calling her name several times, I looked in all her favourite places, but no Chantilly.”
Simon & Schuster: Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from the Cat
“I had defended my title several times over the years, and once I became the top dog on the mixed martial arts scene, I brought fans down on both sides of Tito Ortiz.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘several’.

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