sev·er·al (sĕv'ər-əl, sĕv'rəl)
adj.

1. Being of a number more than two or three but not many: several miles away.
2. Single; distinct: "Pshaw! said I, with an air of carelessness, three several times" (Laurence Sterne).
3. Respectively different; various: They parted and went their several ways. See synonyms at distinct.
4. Law. Relating separately to each party of a bond or note.

pron. (used with a pl. verb)
An indefinite but small number; some or a few: Several of the workers went home sick.

[Middle English, separate, from Anglo-Norman, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, sēperālis, from Latin sēpar, from sēparāre, to separate. See separate.]

severally sev'er·al·ly adv.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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