Origin: Latin suffix -al
Several has 7 different meanings across 2 categories:
An area of land in private ownership (as opposed to common land).
"The villagers were furious when the council voted to convert several into a new golf course."
"Several were waiting in line when we arrived."
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
"several letters came in the mail"
"several people were injured in the accident"
considered individually
"the respective club members"
"specialists in their several fields"
"the various reports all agreed"
Separate, distinct; particular.
"The committee assigned several different tasks to each member based on their unique expertise."
In plain English: Several means more than two but not a huge number.
"I have several books on my shelf."
Usage: Use several to indicate an indefinite number more than two but fewer than many when referring to countable items. It is often confused with few or some, though it specifically implies a quantity that exceeds the small group suggested by those alternatives.
By itself; severally.
"The judge ruled that each defendant was guilty of several separate crimes committed individually rather than as part of a joint conspiracy."
In plain English: Several means doing something more than once but not as many times as you might expect.
"I have been waiting here for several minutes."
Consisting of a number more than two but not very many.
"Several friends stopped by to help me move, though it wasn't enough people for such a heavy job."
The word "several" comes from the Old French several, which was borrowed from the Medieval Latin sēparālis meaning "separate." Although it looks like a combination of "sever" and "-al," its true origin lies in the concept of being distinct or apart rather than related to severity or the number seven.