Strictness
/ˈstrɪkt.nəs/noun
The quality of being severe, demanding, or closely controlled.
Did you know?Strictness comes from Latin *strictus*, the past participle of *stringere*, meaning “to draw tight” or “bind,” which is why so many words in this family carry the energy of tension, restraint, and pressure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*strenk-
“to draw tight, pull together”
Latin
Latin
stringere
“to draw tight, bind, compress”
Latin
Latin
strictus
“drawn tight; compressed; severe”
Old French
Old French
strict
“severe, exact, closely restrained”
Middle English
English
strictnesse
“the quality of being severe or exact”
Modern English
English
strictness
“the quality of being severe, demanding, or exact”