What does several mean?
Several means more than two but not many, and it is used when the exact number is unimportant or not yet known. It can describe people, objects, occasions, or abstract matters: several people attended the meeting, and several explanations were offered. The word is common in everyday conversation as well as in formal writing, including academic, legal, and administrative contexts. Unlike various, it primarily emphasizes quantity rather than variety. When used before a noun, it typically appears directly before that noun, as in “several recommendations.” As a standalone pronoun, it can stand for an unspecified number of people or things, as in “Several of the applicants were late.” Although several is often used loosely to mean many, its conventional implication is a moderate but unspecified number.
More than two but not many.
"The report identifies several areas that require further attention."
Before a plural noun, this is the usual dictionary sense; it indicates an unspecified number greater than two.
An unspecified number of people or things.
"Several of the students asked to leave the room."
This use is common with of, as in “several of the candidates,” and can also stand alone when the referent is understood.
The word that means “more than two but not many” also hides the idea of separation in its history.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does several come from?
Several comes from the Anglo-French several, ultimately related to Latin separare, meaning “to separate.” The development reflects the idea of separate individuals or units: a number of things apart from one another. Its modern sense evolved from referring to separate or individual things to expressing a number greater than two but not many. English cognates include separate, separation, and separately, all based on the same Latin root.
How several is actually used
The word is standard in formal and informal English in both British and American usage. It is often less precise than many and more emphatic than a few.
Easily confused with several
Several indicates a number greater than two but not many, whereas various emphasizes diversity or difference between the things mentioned.