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1. A personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)
   "they hoped to avoid a severance in relations";
   - rupture, breach, break, rift, falling out
    
2. The act of severing
   - severing
    
3. The termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart)
   - dismissal, dismission, discharge, firing, liberation, release, sack, sacking, heave-ho [informal], chuck [Brit, informal], the axe [informal], the boot [informal], the chop [Brit, informal]
    
4. A payment to compensate an employee when they leave employment before retirement

Derived forms: severances

Type of: breakup, conclusion, cut, cutting, detachment, ending, separation, termination

Encyclopedia: Severance, Idaho