stringent

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The Word of the Day for December 9 is:

stringent   \STRIN-junt\   adjective
      1 : tight, constricted 
    *2 : marked by rigor, strictness, or severity especially 
with regard to rule or standard 
      3 : marked by money scarcity and credit strictness 

Example sentence: 
     The school's stringent policies required students to wear 
uniforms and forbade sneakers except for sports.

Did you know?
     Words that are synonymous with "stringent" include "rigid," 
which implies uncompromising inflexibility ("rigid rules of 
conduct"), and "rigorous," which suggests hardship and 
difficulty ("the rigorous training of firefighters"). Also 
closely related is "strict," which emphasizes undeviating 
conformity to rules, standards, or requirements ("strict 
enforcement of the law"). "Stringent" usually involves severe, 
tight restrictions or limitations ("the college has stringent 
admissions rules"). That's logical. After all, "rigorous" 
and "rigid" are both derived from "rigere," the Latin word 
meaning "to be stiff," and "stringent" and "strict" developed 
from the Latin verb "stringere," meaning "to bind tight."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.