Standard Lemma guide

stricture

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃəː/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˈstɹ̝̊ɪkt͡ʃəː]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canadian, General-American, Standard: /ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃɚ/
  • Canadian, General-American, Standard: [ˈstɹ̝̊ɪkt͡ʃɚ] ~ [ˈstɹ̝̊ɪkt͡ʃɹ̩]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪktʃə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: S T R IH1 K CH ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A rule restricting behaviour or action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, plural-normally, uncountable

Examples

  • 1931 Edgar Wallace: Again Sanders "That is a matter for you to discuss with the Government," said Sanders, in his iciest tone. "I am only authorized to collect twenty-eight thousand. I will note your strictures and report them to Whitehall." "I'm passing no strictures said the Major, hastily. He had been warned against Sanders...

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: constraint, restriction, restraint

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A general state of restrictiveness on behavior, action, or ideology.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • I just couldn't take the stricture of that place a single day more.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: constraint, repression, suppression

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A sternly critical remark or review.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: animadversion, criticism, criticization, critique, dressing-down, handbagging, slam, stricture

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Strictness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: austerity, firmness, rigorousness

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A stroke; a glance; a touch.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The degree of contact, in consonants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

severe criticism

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: criticism, unfavorable judgment

9

noun

Meaning 9

abnormal narrowing of a bodily canal or passageway

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stenosis

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pathology

Narrower terms: aortic stenosis, enterostenosis, laryngostenosis, pulmonary stenosis, pyloric stenosis, rhinostenosis, mitral stenosis, mitral valve stenosis, ureterostenosis

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin strictūra, from Latin strictus.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ограничение (ograničenie) — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Finnish: rajoite — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Finnish: rajoitus — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Spanish: estrechura — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Spanish: angostura — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Spanish: restricción — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Spanish: constreñimiento — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Spanish: estrechez — rule restricting behaviour or action
  • Bulgarian: порицание (poricanie) — sternly critical remark or review
  • Finnish: moite — sternly critical remark or review
  • Finnish: nuhde — sternly critical remark or review
  • Russian: суровая критика (surovaja kritika) — sternly critical remark or review
  • Arabic: تَضَيُّق (taḍayyuq) — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Bulgarian: свиване (svivane) — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Chinese Mandarin: 狹窄 /狭窄 (xiázhǎi) — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Finnish: kurouma — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Finnish: ahtauma — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Finnish: striktuura — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • French: étranglement — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • French: rétrécissement — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Russian: стриктура (striktura) — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Spanish: estenosis — (medicine) abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body
  • Finnish: supistuma — (linguistics) the degree of contact, in consonants
  • Finnish: striktuura — (linguistics) the degree of contact, in consonants