Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Characterized by or adhering to strict standards or methods; exacting and thorough.
  • adjective Harsh, severe, or demanding.
  • adjective Very unpleasant or inclement.
  • adjective Adhering strictly to a belief or ideology; uncompromising or inflexible.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Acting with rigor; strict in performance or requirement.
  • Marked by inflexibility or severity; stringent; exacting; hence, unmitigated; merciless.
  • Exact; strict; precise; scrupulously accurate: as, a rigorous definition or demonstration.
  • Hard; inclement; bitter; severe: as, a rigorous winter.
  • Synonyms and Severe, Rigid, etc. (see austere), inflexible, unbending, unyielding.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Manifesting, exercising, or favoring rigor; allowing no abatement or mitigation; scrupulously accurate; exact; strict; severe; relentless
  • adjective Severe; intense; inclement.
  • adjective obsolete Violent.
  • adjective (Mathematics, Logic) Adhering scrupulously and exactly to accepted principles; hence, logically valid.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Manifesting, exercising, or favoring rigour; allowing no abatement or mitigation; scrupulously accurate; exact; strict; severe; relentless; as, a rigorous officer of justice; a rigorous execution of law; a rigorous definition or demonstration.
  • adjective Severe; intense; inclement; as, a rigorous winter.
  • adjective Violent.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
  • adjective rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard

Etymologies

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