severable
|sev-er-a-ble|
🇺🇸
/ˈsɛv(ə)rəbəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈsɛv(ə)rəb(ə)l/
able to be separated
Etymology
'severable' originates from English formation: the verb 'sever' + the adjectival suffix '-able'. 'Sever' comes from Old French 'sevrer' (to separate), ultimately from Latin 'separāre' meaning 'to separate'. The suffix '-able' comes from Latin '-abilis', meaning 'able to be'.
'severable' developed from Middle English usage of the verb 'severen'/'sevre' (from Old French 'sevrer'), with the productive Late Latin/Old French adjectival suffix '-able' added to form adjectives meaning 'able to be X'. Over time this produced modern English 'severable'.
Initially related to the basic sense 'to separate' (from Latin 'separāre'), it evolved into an adjective meaning 'able to be separated' and later acquired specialized legal usage referring to clauses or provisions that can be separated without invalidating the remainder.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
capable of being cut off, detached, or separated; able to be physically separated into parts.
The lower branch was severable from the trunk with little effort.
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Adjective 2
(Law) Capable of being separated so that one part (e.g., a clause in a contract) can be given effect independently of the rest.
The court found the provision severable, so the remainder of the agreement remained enforceable.
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Last updated: 2025/12/27 12:55