stringent

adjective

strin·​gent ˈstrin-jənt 

1

: tight, constricted

2

: marked by rigor, strictness, or severity especially with regard to rule or standard

stringent decontamination procedures

3

: marked by money scarcity and credit strictness

a stringent budget

stringently adverb

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How Should You Use stringent?

Words that are synonymous with stringent include rigid, which implies uncompromising inflexibility ("rigid rules of conduct"), and rigorous, which suggests hardship and difficulty ("the rigorous training of firefighters"). Also closely related is strict, which emphasizes undeviating conformity to rules, standards, or requirements ("strict enforcement of the law"). Stringent usually involves severe, tight restrictions or limitations ("the college has stringent admissions rules"). That's logical. After all, rigorous and rigid are both derived from rigēre, the Latin word meaning "to be stiff," and stringent and strict developed from the Latin verb stringere, meaning "to bind tight."

Synonyms

• brassbound
• cast-iron
• exacting
• hard-line
• inflexible
• rigid
• rigorous
• strict
• uncompromising

Choose the Right Synonym for stringent

rigid, rigorous, strict, stringent mean extremely severe or stern.

rigid implies uncompromising inflexibility.

rigid rules of conduct

rigorous implies the imposition of hardship and difficulty.

the rigorous training of recruits

strict emphasizes undeviating conformity to rules, standards, or requirements.

strict enforcement of the law

stringent suggests severe, tight restriction or limitation.

stringent standards of admission

Examples of stringent in a Sentence

stringent rules against unauthorized persons being in the building

Recent Examples on the Web

This conflict ends rather happily, actually, thanks to New York’s stringent laws on short-term rentals, which leads to a nice vacation next door with fuzzy robes and muffins for the vampires and Guillermo once a month. —Katie Rife, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024

Separately, China’s economic growth has been weak due to a downturn in the real estate market and a slow rebound from stringent Covid-19 lockdowns that ended over a year ago. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The findings would help hold countries with less stringent standards accountable for their emissions output. —Evan Clark, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024

But making the requirements more stringent affects the credit prices in the LCFS, which then ripples down to the price of fuels such as gasoline. —Rob Nikolewski, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin stringent-, stringens, present participle of stringere

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

stringent

adjective

strin·​gent ˈstrin-jənt 

1

: tying, drawing, or pressing tight

2

: strict in setting standards or following rules

stringent training

stringently adverb