several

[sev-er-uh l, sev-ruh l] /ˈsɛv ər əl, ˈsɛv rəl/

adjective

being more than two but fewer than many in number or kind:

several ways of doing it.

respective; individual:

They went their several ways.

separate; different:

several occasions.

single; particular.

Law. binding two or more persons who may be sued separately on a common obligation.

noun

several persons or things; a few; some.

Origin

1375-1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin sēparālis, equivalent to Latin sēpar separate + -ālis -al¹

Can be confused

couple, pair, several (see synonym study at pair)

Examples from the web for several

He was accused of corruption in several court cases.
But the formula for deep ocean blue is rare, occurring in only one out of every several hundred thousand diamonds.
His illustrations complement her accounts of first meetings between notables from the past several centuries.
But several clever experiments have tested people's memory immediately after a tragedy and again several months or years later.
Weighing up to several tons, whale sharks are also notable for their markings.
Those looking to purchase a real tree have several options.
Its shell can end up several feet down, with only its neck poking up into the water.
Then they begin to taper off, diminishing in frequency over the next several days.
several sources say that as long as the foil is tightly sealed, you can run a full load of dishes with detergent.
The best way to learn what a successful last page piece is, and how it works, is to study several of them.

British Dictionary definitions for several

several

/ˈsɛvrəl/

determiner

more than a few; an indefinite small number: several people objected
(as pronoun; functioning as plural): several of them know

adjective

(prenominal) various; separate: the members with their several occupations

(prenominal) distinct; different: three several times

(law) capable of being dealt with separately; not shared Compare joint (sense 15)

Word Origin

C15: via Anglo-French from Medieval Latin sēparālis, from Latin sēpār, from sēparāre to separate

Word Origin and History for several

adj.

early 15c., "existing apart," from Anglo-French several, from Middle French seperalis "separate," from Medieval Latin separalis, from Latin separ "separate, different," back-formation from separare "to separate" (see separate (v.)). Meaning "various, diverse, different" is attested from c.1500; that of "more than one" is from 1530s, originally in legal use.

Here we are all, by day; by night we're hurled
By dreams, each one into a several world
[Herrick, 1648]

Related: Severalty. Jocular ordinal form severalth attested from 1902 in American English dialect (see -th (2)).