'Severity' definitions:

Definition of 'severity'

From: WordNet
noun
Used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather [syn: badness, severity, severeness]
noun
Something hard to endure; "the asperity of northern winters" [syn: asperity, grimness, hardship, rigor, rigour, severity, severeness, rigorousness, rigourousness]
noun
Extreme plainness [syn: austereness, severity, severeness]
noun
Excessive sternness; "severity of character"; "the harshness of his punishment was inhuman"; "the rigors of boot camp" [syn: severity, severeness, harshness, rigor, rigour, rigorousness, rigourousness, inclemency, hardness, stiffness]

Definition of 'Severity'

From: GCIDE
  • Severity \Se*ver"i*ty\, n.; pl. Severities. [L. severitas: cf. F. s['e]v['e]rit['e].] The quality or state of being severe. Specifically: [1913 Webster] (a) Gravity or austerity; extreme strictness; rigor; harshness; as, the severity of a reprimand or a reproof; severity of discipline or government; severity of penalties. "Strict age, and sour severity." --Milton. [1913 Webster] (b) The quality or power of distressing or paining; extreme degree; extremity; intensity; inclemency; as, the severity of pain or anguish; the severity of cold or heat; the severity of the winter. [1913 Webster] (c) Harshness; cruel treatment; sharpness of punishment; as, severity practiced on prisoners of war. [1913 Webster] (d) Exactness; rigorousness; strictness; as, the severity of a test. [1913 Webster]
  • Confining myself to the severity of truth. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'severity'

From: Moby Thesaurus