uncompromising

Uncompromising is an adjective used to describe a stance, policy, or behavior that refuses to yield on core principles, standards, or requirements. It signals a commitment to consistency and rigidity in opposing concessions, and its tone can be either laudatory or critical depending on context.

It is formed from the prefix un- added to compromising. The base term compromise comes from Latin compromisum; the modern sense of refusing concessions has developed in English over time.

In everyday use, uncompromising can describe people who uphold stringent ethical standards, organizations that require strict quality controls, or artistic or branding approaches that reject mainstream compromises. It can imply admirable integrity, or inflexibility that hinders negotiation, depending on perspective.

Examples include an uncompromising commitment to human rights, an uncompromising design that prioritizes durability, or an uncompromising opponent in politics.

See also related terms such as principled, inflexible, hardline, and dogmatic.