strict

adjective

STRIKT/stɹɪkt/

8 meanings of strict

1
adjective
Following exact rules, or making others follow them, with little room for mistakes.
Like a referee who never lets even a tiny foul go.
Our teacher is very strict about turning homework in on time.
The new boss runs a strict office where everyone has to arrive by nine.
Similarprecise, puritanical
Oppositelenient, lax, permissive, easygoing
Note
2
adjective
Quick to punish and not willing to let bad behavior slide.
Like a coach who makes the whole team run laps over one late arrival.
The coach is strict and benches anyone who skips practice.
My grandfather was a strict man who never tolerated bad manners.
Similarharsh, severe, stern, tough, hard
Oppositelenient, lax, permissive
3
adjective
Exact and precise, with no room for loose or rough meanings.
Like measuring with a ruler instead of guessing by eye.
In the strict sense, a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable.
She gave a strict account of what happened, leaving nothing out.
Similarprecise, accurate, exact, careful, rigorous
Oppositeloose, inexact, imprecise, approximate
Note
4
adjective
Held to a narrow, exact meaning, with no wider reading allowed.
Like a fence that marks exactly where you can and cannot go.
The club has a strict limit of twenty members.
There is a strict ban on phones during the test.
Similarnarrow, restricted
Oppositeloose, broad, liberal, flexible
Note
5
adjective
Tight and tense, not loose or relaxed.
Oppositeloose, relaxed, slack
6
adjective
Pulled tight and drawn closely together.
She held her son in a strict embrace, so tight he could hardly breathe.
The nurse wrapped a strict bandage around his ankle to keep it from moving.
Similartight, taut, tense, stretched, strained
Oppositeloose, slack, relaxed
Note
7
adjective
In math, describing an order or comparison where nothing counts as related to itself.
Like saying nobody can be taller than themselves.
A strict order means a thing can never come before itself.
We use a strict comparison so that nothing equals or repeats itself.
Oppositeweak, non-strict
Note
8
adjective
In plants, growing straight up in a narrow, upright shape.
Like a bundle of pencils standing straight up in a cup.
The plant has a strict, upright stem that points straight at the sky.
These flowers grow in strict clusters held close to the stem.
Similarerect, upright
Oppositedrooping, lax
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin stringere, meaning "to draw tight or bind." It is related to the words strait and stretto.