1. the act of severing or the state of being severed. 2. a breaking off, as of a friendship. 3. Law. a division of liabilities, provisions, etc., into parts; removal of a part from the whole. 4. Also called sev′erance pay`. money, exclusive of wages, etc., paid to an employee who is dismissed for reasons beyond the employee's control., What does the noun severance mean? There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun severance . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence., SEVERANCE meaning: 1 : the act of ending someone's employment usually used before another noun; 2 : the act of ending a relationship, connection, etc. usually + of, Definition of severance noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more., A severance is the ending of a connection or relationship. A terrible argument between you and your cousin could turn into a all-out feud and eventually a complete severance between the two branches of your family., Severance from a person or group, or the severance of a connection, involves the ending of a relationship or connection..