rigor

noun rig·or \ ˈri-gər \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Examples: rigor in a Sentence

1 a (1) : harsh inflexibility in opinion, temper, or judgment : severity

(2) : the quality of being unyielding or inflexible : strictness

(3) : severity of life : austerity

b : an act or instance of strictness, severity, or cruelty

2 : a tremor caused by a chill

3 : a condition that makes life difficult, challenging, or uncomfortable; especially : extremity of cold

4 : strict precision : exactness

logical rigor

5 a obsolete : rigidity, stiffness

b : rigidness or torpor of organs or tissue that prevents response to stimuli

c : rigor mortis

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Examples of rigor in a Sentence

They underwent the rigors of military training.
the rigors of life in the wilderness
They conducted the experiments with scientific rigor.
a scholar known for her intellectual rigor

Recent Examples of rigor from the Web

Today’s debates lack the intellectual rigor and civility that Charles championed in his columns, his appearances on Fox News, and his many speeches and essays.

— irwin stelzer, WSJ, "Charles Krauthammer, a Great Thinker and an Even Better Friend," 21 June 2018
For crew flights, NASA helped SpaceX with the rigor and attention to detail needed to safeguard human lives.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX crew director moves to academia, says company will win race to space," 5 June 2018
Halsey’s deft installation blends delightful improv with eloquent formal rigor.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "Lauren Halsey takes a fantastic voyage in MOCA's 'we still here, there'," 24 May 2018
So while Kohn’s book was fact-checked to an extent, it was not fact-checked with the rigor that an outside party might have brought to the process.

— constance grady, Vox, "Book publishing’s fact-checking failure, as illustrated by the Sally Kohn controversy," 20 Apr. 2018
Okun’s book escapes the traps of crafting’s lilywhite cultural apparatus, by focusing with rigor and insight on the single self.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Does Crafting Make People Happier?," 9 Apr. 2018
There’s a prestige there, but the kind that’s hand-polished and maintained with militaristic rigor.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Breakaway: Wayne Ellington's Journey From Indistinguishable to Indispensable," 5 Apr. 2018
Each episode tackles a new sports saga with the same impressive journalistic rigor of the TV series.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "The 50 Best Podcasts to Listen to Right Now," 30 Mar. 2018
Garfield is a talented and determined actor, taking on varied roles with intellectual and physical rigor.

— richard lawson, Vanities, "Review: Angels in America Returns to Broadway in All Its Triumph and Tragedy," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rigor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rigor

Middle English rigour, from Anglo-French, from Latin rigor, literally, stiffness, from rigēre to be stiff

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

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rigor Synonyms

RIGOR Defined for English Language Learners

rigor

noun

rigors : the difficult and unpleasant conditions or experiences that are associated with something
: the quality or state of being very exact, careful, or strict