Strictify

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To impose more rigid rules or controls; to enforce a higher degree of discipline or adherence to guidelines; to make a system or environment more stringent and exacting
2. To strengthen regulations or obligations by applying firmer standards; to increase the severity of requirements or oversight; to transform a lenient structure into a stricter framework
3. To enhance the strictness of policies or procedures; to heighten the level of enforcement or restriction; to convert a flexible arrangement into one that demands precise compliance

Etymology: "Strictify" is a plain formation: the adjective "strict" with the verb-forming suffix "-ify" attached. "Strict" itself came into English in the 1500s, borrowed from Latin "strictus," the past participle of "stringere," meaning "to draw tight" or "to bind," which also gave English words such as "stringent" and "constrict." The sense of tightness was there from the start, so a strict rule was originally one drawn taut. The suffix "-ify" arrived through Old French "-ifier" from Latin "-ificare," a verb-making element found in words such as "simplify" and "clarify." English has been attaching it to adjectives and nouns for centuries, and it remains productive for new coinages, which is how "strictify" fits in. The word is informal and rare, most often heard in discussion of regulations or policies that have been tightened.