several

Several is an English determiner and pronoun used to refer to a non-specific but small number of people or things. It signals more than a couple but not many, and the exact count is intentionally vague. In most contexts, several items or people are implied.

As a determiner, several precedes a plural noun: several books, several issues. As a pronoun, several can stand on its own: several were injured, several have already arrived. It is commonly used with plural nouns and with expressions such as “several of” followed by a noun phrase.

Compared with few and some, several denotes a larger but still moderate quantity. Few carries a stronger negative or limiting sense, while some is more indefinite and imprecise. In formal writing, several can imply consideration of multiple options or instances; in informal speech it often conveys a casual approximation.

Origin and usage: the word comes from Middle English through Old French, with roots that relate to the idea of separation or multiple items. It has been part of English since the medieval period and remains a standard, neutral quantifier in contemporary usage.

See also: a few, some, a number of, multiple, handful.