Severally

Severally is an adverb that means individually or separately, applying to each member of a group rather than to the group as a whole. In legal and formal writing, it is used to indicate that obligations, rights, or liabilities belong to each person independently.

The term is formed from the base adjective several with the adverbial suffix -ly. Severally appears in English from historical usage and remains common in legal, governmental, and some formal documents. In everyday language, writers typically replace severally with synonyms such as individually or separately, which are often clearer to general readers.

In legal contexts, severally is frequently paired with jointly in phrases such as jointly and severally liable. The word clarifies that each defendant bears liability in their own right, and can be pursued independently for the full amount, in addition to any shared responsibility. By contrast, severally but not jointly would imply independent liability without a shared obligation. Phrases like “the parties severally bound,” “the tenants severally liable,” or “the costs shall be borne severally” illustrate typical uses in contracts and formal agreements.

Usage notes: severally is usually used after the subject (the parties severally agreed) or before the verb phrase (the liabilities severally accrue). It remains a precise, technical term in law and formal discourse, but is less common in everyday writing. For general purposes, replacing severally with individually or separately often improves clarity.