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stringency

American  
[strin-juhn-see] / ˈstrɪn dʒən si /

noun

  • stringencies
    plural
  1. stringent character or condition.

    the stringency of poverty.

  2. strictness; closeness; rigor.

    the stringency of school discipline.

  3. tightness; straitness.

    stringency in the money market.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of stringency

First recorded in 1835–45; string(ent) + -ency

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The plan strikes a “balance between program stringency and affordability,” said Fariya Ali, air and climate policy manager with PG&E, during the meeting.

From Los Angeles Times May 30, 2026

The company said it expected EV adoption to slow following policy changes “including the termination of certain consumer tax incentives for EV purchases and the reduction in the stringency of emissions regulations.”

From Barron's Oct. 14, 2025

Minhaj applied a similar stringency to "Patriot Act," but at a cost.

From Salon Sep. 23, 2023

Tesla said this projection is "inexplicable, unjustified, and needlessly undermines the stringency of the rule ... In 2022, Tesla’s U.S. sales already approached 500,000 vehicles."

From Reuters Jul. 7, 2023

There is a certain stringency to life, a willful doing without.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

But he added that some air taxis are being lumped into categories such as general aviation where smaller aircraft have different stringencies than larger jetliners.

From Reuters Nov. 8, 2022

A ruthless businessman, Blackett takes the stringencies of making a profit as natural law and is astounded as his workforce abandons him.

From Washington Post Oct. 1, 2019

It's fair to guess that Kazaras's original staging ideas must have been both more coherent and more convincing before budget stringencies intervened.

From Seattle Times Apr. 2, 2011

This is a small selection of the thousands who have had to endure the absurd stringencies of the UK Border Agency since the points-based visa system was introduced.

From The Guardian Mar. 16, 2010

Not that stringencies upon the Press please me—no, nor arrests and imprisonments.

From The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Volume II by Sir Frederic G. (Frederic George) Kenyon

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