Rigoroso

Rigoroso is an adjective used in Italian and Portuguese to denote strictness, thoroughness, or exacting standards. It can describe people, procedures, analyses, or measurements. Depending on context, the sense can be positive (careful, precise) or negative (inflexible, harsh).

From Latin rigorosus, derived from rigor meaning stiffness or rigidity, the term entered Italian and Portuguese with similar form and meaning. It inflects for gender and number in both languages (Italian: rigoroso/rigorosa; Portuguese: rigoroso/rigorosa; plural forms accordingly).

In Italian, rigoroso is used for exams, checks, and methods that leave little room for error: esame rigoroso, controllo rigoroso, procedura rigorosa. It can describe a person as very scrupulous or demanding.

In Portuguese, rigoroso is closely aligned with rigor, used for policies, studies, and schedules: uma política rigorosa, um estudo rigoroso, ser rigoroso com horários. The term generally conveys thoroughness and discipline, yet may imply inflexibility if applied too rigidly.

English renders it as rigorous or strict; Spanish uses riguroso with similar meaning. Morphology differs by gender and number across languages, but the core sense remains the same.