rigor

noun

rig·or | \ ˈri-gər

Definition of rigor

1a(1) : harsh inflexibility in opinion, temper, or judgment : severity The least one might observe is that this muddle of moralism and laxity, extreme rigor and casual permissiveness, arduous altruism and nonchalant selfishness, has consequences.— Peter Berkowitz

(2) : the quality of being unyielding or inflexible : strictness Their abandonment of this terminology is part of an effort to soften the rigor of some of the rigid consequences thought to flow from the mechanical application of this dichotomy.— John D. Calamari and Joseph M. Perillo

(3) : severity of life : austerity … a moral rigor and growth that might help this country.— Stanley Kauffmann

b : an act or instance of strictness, severity, or cruelty … the humanist must recognize the normality, the practical necessity of the very rigors he is trying to soften and correct.— Hermann J. Muller

2 : a tremor caused by a chill This young woman presented at the hospital with severe abdominal pain and signs of infection, including fever, rigor, and leukocytosis.— Robert E. Scully et al.

3 : a condition that makes life difficult, challenging, or uncomfortable especially : extremity of cold the rigors of a New England winter

4 : strict precision : exactness logical rigor Tentatively one might suggest that what characterizes science is the rigor of its methodology …— Ernst Mayr

5a obsolete : rigidity, stiffness

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

c : rigor mortis A fish has its best flavor and texture when cooked while just coming out of rigor.— Jane Daniels Lear

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about rigor

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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 on the Web

The queen's daughter, Princess Anne, who would have been happy to be married on horseback in the countryside, submitted to the TV rigors of Westminster Abbey for her 1973 wedding in the cold, dark depths of a national recession. — Patt Morrison, latimes.com, "After centuries of practice, Britain's royals figure out how to turn a wedding into a global watch party," 17 May 2018 Those questions, posed with such skill and rigor by Rubin’s story and Trumbull film, have only become more urgent. — Eleanor Hildebrandt, Popular Mechanics, "The True Story of the Lost Sci-Fi Movie "Brainstorm," Natalie Wood’s Last Film," 21 Dec. 2018 In the Kavanaugh Court, extending rights claims beyond their already elastic status is going to require more rigor than appeals to a judge’s personal sensibilities or a theory of social organization developed in law journals. — Daniel Henninger, WSJ, "Kavanaugh and the Culture Wars," 11 July 2018 Martha McFarland, Carmel's director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said in a school board presentation the district is not looking to decrease rigor. — Emma Kate Fittes, Indianapolis Star, "Expert: Carmel Schools should offer 'a lot more' than contentious high-ability groups," 9 Apr. 2018 Dickason's crystalline abstractions on paper, panel and canvas marry geometric rigor to lusciously nuanced surfaces. — Special To The Oregonian, OregonLive.com, "Many shades of gray define new exhibit at Elizabeth Leach Gallery," 7 Jan. 2018 Here’s a new paper from Killian Clarke and Korhan Koçak at Princeton University that attempts to put some rigor behind that idea. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "How Kevin Hart tweeted himself out of a job hosting the Oscars," 8 Dec. 2018 The food combines all of the rigor of his fine French dining training as well as his creative, almost graphic plating style. — Condé Nast Traveler, "24 Best Restaurants in Paris," 4 Mar. 2018 Striking the perfect balance of opulence, rigor, and surprise, Sills combined a soft palette and sharply edited antiques with an energetic Robert Kelly stripe painting that seems to be begging the garden sphinx in front of it to stand up. — Kathleen Hackett, ELLE Decor, "Return Engagement," 7 June 2012

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.