What does "stricture" mean?
A rule restricting behaviour or action.
Stricture
/ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃəɹ/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rule restricting behaviour or action.
- Grammar: stricture is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: stenosis, abbreviation, adverse criticism, anathema.
- Useful contrasts: approval, dilation, freedom.
- Usage evidence: To his eyes it had no attraction; it savoured of simony, and was likely to bring down upon him harder and more deserved strictures than any he had yet received: he positively declined to become vicar of Puddingdale under any circumstances.
How to use "stricture"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stricture" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stricture" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stricture" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stricture" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "stricture" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "stenosis" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "stricture", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rule restricting behaviour or action. countable, plural-normally, uncountable
"To his eyes it had no attraction; it savoured of simony, and was likely to bring down upon him harder and more deserved strictures than any he had yet received: he positively declined to become vicar of Puddingdale under any circumstances."
- 2 severe criticism wordnet
- 3 A general state of restrictiveness on behavior, action, or ideology. countable, uncountable
"I just couldn't take the stricture of that place a single day more."
- 4 abnormal narrowing of a bodily canal or passageway wordnet
- 5 A sternly critical remark or review. countable, uncountable
"When he read the poem to his parents, upon its conclusion, both were much impressed by it, though his father made severe strictures upon its lack of polish, its terminal inconcision, and its vagueness of thought."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body. countable, uncountable
"Even in the brief moment of his entrance into the magnificence of Anthony Harding's home he had felt a strange little stricture of the throat—a choking, half-suffocating sensation."
- 7 Strictness. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"a man of stricture and firm abstinence"
- 8 A stroke; a glance; a touch. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"But whatever may be said of other matters , certainly the first draughts and strictures of Natural Religion and Morality are naturally in the Mind"
- 9 The degree of contact, in consonants. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"To his eyes it had no attraction; it savoured of simony, and was likely to bring down upon him harder and more deserved strictures than any he had yet received: he positively declined to become vicar of Puddingdale under any circumstances."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stricture"?
Common synonyms include: stenosis, abbreviation, adverse criticism, anathema, animadversion, arraignment.
How do you use "stricture" in a sentence?
To his eyes it had no attraction; it savoured of simony, and was likely to bring down upon him harder and more deserved strictures than any he had yet received: he positively declined to become vicar of Puddingdale under any circumstances.
How do you pronounce "stricture"?
Pronounced /ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃəɹ/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin strictūra, from Latin strictus.