several
Americanadjective
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being more than two but fewer than many in number or kind.
several ways of doing it.
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They went their several ways.
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several occasions.
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Archaic. single; particular.
an examination of each several case.
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Law. binding two or more persons who may be sued separately on a common obligation.
pronoun
determiner
adjective
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(prenominal) various; separate
the members with their several occupations
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(prenominal) distinct; different
three several times
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law capable of being dealt with separately; not shared Compare joint
Etymology
Origin of several
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, equivalent to Latin sēpar “separate” + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Two is a "couple" and more than two or three is several. If you eat four donuts you can say you had several but you may have had too many — especially if you get a stomach-ache. Several is a word that shows size or number when you can’t be specific or when you want to summarize. If three, four, or five of you hang out, then you're spending time with several friends. Inviting 30 people over and telling your parents that several friends stopped by would be stretching the truth and you might get grounded. For how many weeks? Possibly several.
Vocabulary lists containing several
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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"The American Crisis," Vocabulary from 11-A Supernumerary Crisis
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"A Book of Nonsense"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hamilton had a torrid time in the second half of last season, several times expressing doubts about whether he still had the speed he used to have.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Acting attorney general Todd Blanche met privately with Republican senators just before the negotiations collapsed in an effort to calm concerns over the fund, but several lawmakers emerged unconvinced.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Since then, Reed has produced several videos expressing support for Becerra, the former California congressman and U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
In fact Wilder wrote several scenes, and the playwright Kirk Lynn, whom Mr. Tapper is essentially here portraying, delved through Wilder’s archives and “completed” the play that follows.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
“And ration cards can’t be counterfeited. They’re changed too often and they’re too easy to spot. Identity cards are different. I know several printers who do them. Of course you need a photographer.”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
