stricture

noun

stric·​ture ˈstrik-chər 

1

a

: an abnormal narrowing of a bodily passage

also : the narrowed part

b

: a constriction of the breath passage in the production of a speech sound

2

: something that closely restrains or limits : restriction

moral strictures

3

: an adverse criticism : censure

Did you know?

Stricture has meant many things through the centuries, and its "restriction" meaning—probably the most common one today—is actually the most recent. High-school teachers often put strictures on texting during class. Cities concerned about their murder rate have slapped strictures on the possession of handguns. And the United Nations may vote to put strictures on arms sales to a country that keeps violating international treaties. With the meaning "strong criticism", stricture is slightly old-fashioned today, but it's still used by intellectuals. So, for example, an article may amount to a harsh stricture on the whole medical profession, or an art review may just express the critic's strictures on sentimental paintings of cute little houses with glowing windows.

Synonyms

• censure
• commination
• condemnation
• denunciation
• excoriation
• objurgation
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• reproof
• riot act

Examples of stricture in a Sentence

the church's strictures on the morals and mores of contemporary society

the new zoning strictures effectively make further development along the riverfront commercially unviable

Recent Examples on the Web

This is Mascaro’s most humane film to date, which isn’t to say that August Winds and Neon Bull weren’t also grounded in the individual’s struggle for self-fulfillment outside the strictures of bourgeois circumscribed society. —Jay D. Weissberg, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025

This allows healthcare providers to view the esophagus and look for signs of inflammation and abnormalities, like ulcers, strictures (narrowing of the esophagus), and bleeding. —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 6 Feb. 2025

Esophageal strictures: Inflammation can cause the esophagus to narrow, making swallowing difficult. —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 6 Feb. 2025

The plain, pensive framings are shot through with vectors of power both official and unofficial: pandemic regulations and the administrative tangles around real estate impose one kind of stricture; tradition and ingrained mores provide another. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin strictura, from Latin strictus, past participle

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for stricture

• picture

Kids Definition

stricture

noun

stric·​ture ˈstrik-chər 

1

: an abnormal narrowing of a bodily passage

also : the narrowed part

2

: a negative criticism : censure

Medical Definition

stricture

noun

stric·​ture ˈstrik-chər 

: an abnormal narrowing of a bodily passage (as from inflammation, cancer, or the formation of scar tissue)

esophageal stricture

also : the narrowed part