Exigeant

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by a need for rigorous demands and high expectations
2. Describing conditions or individuals that necessitate substantial effort and a strict adherence to standards
3. Characterized by a requirement for strict adherence to rules and high effort levels

Etymology: "Exigeant" is a French word that English borrowed directly, and it sits alongside "exigent" as a doublet, meaning the two came into English by different routes from the same origin. Its French source is the present participle form of "exiger," to demand or require, which traces back to Latin "exigere," to drive out, weigh, or demand. The Latin roots combine "ex-," out, with "agere," to drive or do. The pairing is a useful reminder that English often ended up with two versions of one Latin-derived word: "exigent," which kept a more general sense of urgent need, and "exigeant," which retained the French flavour and the specific sense of someone who asks a great deal of others or of themselves. The French form kept its accent mark and its spelling, so it reads as a deliberate borrowing rather than a worn-down English word.