rigor

noun rig·or \ ˈri-gər \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: rigor in a Sentence

Definition of rigor

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

But the score is rich at every turn, blending the rigor of symphonic music with Broadway idioms and vernacular of Latin American style and jazz.

— joshua barone, New York Times, "The Trouble With Bernstein’s Broadway in the Concert Hall," 13 July 2018
Utility representatives have said their phone cameras can withstand the rigors of police work, and their contract would include vouchers for modified uniforms that integrate the cameras.

— jasper scherer, San Antonio Express-News, "Bexar County releases new body camera bid request with broader specs," 6 July 2018
In fact, similar repositories do exist, but the NGC’s criteria for inclusion were set by the National Academy of Medicine, which established a high bar for rigor that other clearinghouses might lack.

— ivan oransky, STAT, "Trump administration is shutting down practice-guidelines clearinghouse for doctors," 13 June 2018
Scene after scene bears the hermetic rigor of a rite, one that outsiders—or even other members of the household—may struggle to understand.

— anthony lane, The New Yorker, "“Hereditary” Delivers a New Kind of Horror," 7 June 2018
There's hardly anyone better to teach Proehl about the rigors of the NFL than his father.

— brendan marks, charlotteobserver, "UNC receiver Austin Proehl has a clear route to NFL — in his father's footsteps | Charlotte Observer," 3 Apr. 2018
How much of his late-season swoon was due to the physical rigors of the season?

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "NBA Draft Stock Watch: Who is Rising and Falling After the First Weekend of March Madness?," 19 Mar. 2018
Peterson has all of the external signifiers of this type of person without any of the inquisitive rigor.

— laurie penny, Longreads, "Peterson’s Complaint," 12 July 2018
His political background in the Starr constellation and the Bush White House make Kavanaugh almost ideally suited to the rigors of the confirmation process.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Brett Kavanaugh Is a Safe Choice to Carry Out the GOP’s Extreme Supreme Court Agenda," 9 July 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

Definition of rigor for English Language Learners

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