nonstrictly

Nonstrictly is an adverb meaning in a non-strict manner; not strictly. It is formed from the prefix non- plus strict plus the adverbial suffix -ly. The spelling non-strictly with a hyphen is common in standard technical writing, while the single-word form nonstrictly appears in some sources but is less widely used in general English. The term is primarily encountered in formal or technical contexts where a property may permit exceptions or equality rather than enforcing a strict criterion.

In mathematics and logic, nonstritly (often written as non-strictly or non-strictly increasing, for example) is used to indicate that a relation or function allows equality. For instance, a non-strictly increasing sequence satisfies a1 ≤ a2 ≤ a3 …, whereas a strictly increasing sequence would satisfy a1 < a2 < a3 …. The corresponding inequalities are described as non-strict (≤ or ≥) versus strict (< or >). In such contexts, non-strict can be synonymous with weak, though authors may prefer the term weakly increasing or non-decreasing to avoid ambiguity.

Usage considerations: in everyday language, not strictly is usually clearer and more natural than nonstrictly. The one-word form tends to appear in specialized writing, and readers should be aware that hyphenation and field-specific conventions vary. When communicating with a general audience, it is often advisable to use not strictly or non-strictly, depending on the level of formality and precision required.

See also: strict, non-strict, weakly, non-decreasing, non-increasing.