zero tolerance

American

noun

a policy of very strict, uncompromising enforcement of rules or laws.

zero tolerance British

noun

1. the policy of applying laws or penalties to even minor infringements of a code in order to reinforce its overall importance
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a zero-tolerance policy on drugs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of zero tolerance

First recorded in 1935–40

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023