rigor

American  

[rig-er] / ˈrɪg ər /

especially British, rigour

noun

1. strictness, severity, or harshness, as in dealing with people.

   Synonyms:

   stringency , inflexibility

2. the full or extreme severity of laws, rules, etc.

3. severity of living conditions; hardship; austerity.

   the rigor of wartime existence.

4. a severe or harsh act, circumstance, etc.

   Synonyms:

   cruelty

5. scrupulous or inflexible accuracy or adherence.

   the logical rigor of mathematics.

6. severity of weather or climate or an instance of this.

   the rigors of winter.

7. Pathology.  a sudden coldness, as that preceding certain fevers; chill.

8. Physiology.  a state of rigidity in muscle tissues during which they are unable to respond to stimuli due to the coagulation of muscle protein.

9. Obsolete.  stiffness or rigidity.

---

rigor British  

/ ˈraɪɡɔː, ˈrɪɡə /

noun

1. med a sudden feeling of chilliness, often accompanied by shivering: it sometimes precedes a fever

2. pathol rigidity of a muscle; muscular cramp

3. a state of rigidity assumed by some animals in reaction to sudden shock

4. the inertia assumed by some plants in conditions unfavourable to growth

---

Usage

What is rigor? Rigor is strictness and inflexibility, as in The military academy was known for its dedication to perfection, discipline, and rigor.Rigor is also hardship or austerity, as in Young soldiers are rarely ready to handle the rigors of war.Rigor can also refer to a strict accuracy, as with scientific experiments.If a teacher is known for their rigor, they are very strict about things like students finishing all their homework and are likely to punish students who don’t follow the rules. A person known for rigor is likely to support punishments for people who misbehave rather than rewards for people who behave.Rigor can also mean a condition that makes life harder, such as living without electricity. When referring to austerity, can mean living without a lot of things that make life pleasant, like takeout food, video games, and traveling.Finally, rigor can mean strict accuracy or precision, as in The report on water pollution was commended for its scientific rigor.In British English, this word is commonly spelled as rigour.The adjective form of rigor is rigorous and it is most often used to mean something is very harsh or full of difficulties, as in It takes years of rigorous training to be an Olympic athlete.Example: We nearly froze as we huddled in the log cabin and suffered through the rigors of the harsh, unforgiving winter.

Etymology

Origin of rigor

1350–1400; Middle English rigour < Latin rigor stiffness, equivalent to rig ( ēre ) to be stiff + -or -or ¹

Example Sentences

College courses must actively cultivate the virtues of curiosity, open-mindedness, intellectual humility, analytical rigor and, above all, dedication to the pursuit of truth.

From The Wall Street Journal

Under what he called the “nighthawk project,” engineers pursued research around the clock, matching the rigor of production-line operations.

From The Wall Street Journal

So a new analysis by its joint faculty-administration committee of its student preparation may reflect a broader decline in academic rigor and standards.

From The Wall Street Journal

Toner-Rodgers’s illusory success seems in part thanks to the dynamics he has now upset: an academic culture at MIT where high levels of trust, integrity and rigor are all—for better or worse—assumed.

From The Wall Street Journal

One might also point to American consumers, who haven’t moderated their beef buying enough to subject the commodity to the rigors of supply-and-demand economics.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accuracy
• austerity
• difficulty
• firmness
• hardship
• harshness
• ordeal
• precision
• rigidity
• tenacity
• tribulation
• vicissitude