Difference between revisions of "Several"

Latest revision as of 08:45, 8 June 2018

English

Determiner

Several

1. A number of different; various. (Now merged into later senses, below)
2. Consisting of a number more than one but not very many; diverse.
   • 1784, William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., preface:

     The favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Perſons of the firſt diſtinc‍tion, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ſeveral new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfec‍tion; and diſtinguiſh it from others ; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.

   • 2004, The Guardian, 6 Nov 2004:

     Several people were killed and around 150 injured after a high-speed train hit a car on a level crossing and derailed tonight

3. (obsolete) Separate, distinct; particular.
   • 1603, John Florio, trans. Michel de Montaigne, Essays, I.42:

     He had a religion apart: a God severall unto himselfe, whom his subjects might no waies adore.

   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.i.4.2:

     So one thing may be good and bad to several parties, upon diverse occasions.

Derived terms

• several states
• severally

Adverb

Several (not comparable)

1. By itself; severally.

Noun

1. (obsolete) An area of land in private ownership (as opposed to common land).
2. Each particular taken singly; an item; a detail; an individual.
3. (archaic) An enclosed or separate place; enclosure.

Thesaurus

a certain number, a few, a number, absolute, assorted, at odds, at variance, certain, concrete, considerable, contrary, contrasted, contrasting, defined, definite, departing, detailed, determinate, deviating, deviative, different, differentiated, differing, disaccordant, disagreeing, discordant, discrepant, discrete, discriminated, disjoined, disparate, dissimilar, dissonant, distinct, distinguished, distributional, distributive, divergent, diverging, divers, diverse, diversified, equal, esoteric, especial, even stephen, exceptional, express, extraordinary, few, fifty-fifty, fixed, half, half-and-half, halvers, heterogeneous, in disagreement, inaccordant, incompatible, incongruous, inconsistent, inconsonant, independent, individual, inharmonious, inner, intimate, irreconcilable, legion, many, many and various, minute, more, motley, multifarious, multitudinal, multitudinous, nonuniqueness, not a few, noteworthy, numerous, numerousness, of all sorts, one or two, parcel, particular, passel, per capita, per head, personal, pluralism, plurality, pluralness, poles apart, poles asunder, populous, precise, private, pro rata, proportional, proportionate, prorated, respective, separate, separated, single, singular, solipsistic, some, special, specific, sundry, two or three, umpteen, unconformable, unequal, unlike, upwards of, variant, varied, variegated, variety, various, varying, voluminous, widely apart, worlds apart

Alternative forms

• ſeveral (archaic)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman several, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, from Latin sēpar (“separate”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsɛvɹəl/, SAMPA: /"sEvr@l/

• Audio (US)

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• Hyphenation: sev‧er‧al

Translations

Determiner

Noun

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: times · girl · during · #332: several · either · whether · city

Anagrams

• leavers
• reveals

Anglo-Norman

Adjective

Several m.

1. separate

Declension

Noun

Several m. (oblique plural severaus, nominative singular severaus, nominative plural Several)

1. one's own property or possession

Related terms

• sevrer
• desevrer

Descendants

• English: several