strict

Where does the word "strict" come from? It comes from Latin stringere, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Strict’s story begins in Latin: stringere meant “to draw tight, to bind.” The root of 'strain', 'stress' and 'stringent'. It reached English by 1400s as strict. Settled as the English word for demanding that rules be strictly followed. Today, strict means demanding that rules or standards be closely followed, with no exceptions.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient stringere "to draw tight, to bind", the root of 'strain', 'stress' and 'stringent'.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s strict "demanding that rules or standards be strictly followed", settled as the English word for demanding that rules be strictly followed.