sĕvērĭtas — Lewis & Short
sĕvērĭtas, ātis, f.1. severus,
I seriousness, gravity, sternness, strictness, severity, in a good and bad sense (class. and very freq.;
syn. gravitas): tristis severitas inest in vultu,Ter. And. 5, 2, 16:
severitatem in senectute probo: acerbitatem nullo modo,Cic. Sen. 18, 65 (opp. lepos); id. Off. 1, 37, 134:
censorum,id. Rep. 4, 6, 15; cf. Val. Max. 2, 9.—Plur.:
censorum severitates,Gell. 4, 20, 1:
tristitia et in omni re severitas,Cic. Lael. 18, 66; cf.:
homo ipsā tristitiā et severitate popularis,id. Brut. 25, 97:
si illius comitatem et facilitatem tuae gravitati severitatique asperseris,id. Mur. 31, 66; so (opp. comitas) id. Brut. 40, 148; (opp. mansuetudo et misericordia) Sall. C. 54, 2; (opp hilaritas risusque) Cic. Brut. 93, 322:
T. Torquatus cum illam severitatem in eo filio adhibuit, quem, etc.,id. Fin. 1, 7, 24:
evellere se aculeum severitatis vestrae,id. Clu. 55, 152:
laetissimae vir severitatis,Vell. 2, 127, 4:
Catoni severitas dignitatem addiderat,Sall. C. 54, 2:
commodare magnis peccatis severitatem,Tac. Agr. 19:
summa severitas animadversionis,Cic. Fam. 9, 14, 7:
exempli,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 3, § 7:
judiciorum (opp. lenitas ac misericordia),id. Sull. 33, 92:
imperii,Caes. B. G. 7, 4; cf.: militarem disciplinam severitatemque minuere, Auct. B. Alex. 48 fin.;
65: nimia emendationis severitas,Quint. 2, 4, 10:
disciplinae,id. 2, 2, 4:
orationis,Plin. Ep. 2, 5, 6:
hac severitate aurium laetor,this severity of taste, id. ib. 3, 18, 9.—
II Transf.:
etiam corruptissimo in genere magis tamen juvat quaedam ipsius viti severitas,rudeness, crudeness, Plin. 13, 3, 4, § 21.