Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Latin
Origin: strictus, past participle of stringere; STRINGENT

strict

 adjective
     
strict S3 comparative stricter, superlative strictest
1 expecting people to obey rules or to do what you say [≠ lenient]:
a strict teacher
strict about
This company is very strict about punctuality.
strict with
The Stuarts are very strict with their children.
2 a strict order or rule is one that must be obeyed:
You had strict instructions not to tell anybody.
There are strict limits on presidential campaign contributions.
He's under strict orders from his doctor to quit smoking.
I'm telling you this in the strictest confidence (=it must be kept completely secret).
3 [usually before noun] exact and correct, often in a way that seems unreasonable:
Amy was attractive, although not beautiful in the strictest sense of the word.
4 obeying all the rules of a religion or set of principles:
He was raised a strict Catholic.
a strict vegetarian
—strictness noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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