stringente

Forms

stringente m or f by sense (plural stringenti)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Italian stringere: its present participle, used as an adjective.^[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary derives it directly from the present participle of Latin stringō.^[1] DELI and Nocentini consider that verb probably of Indo-European origin.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in the Italian translation of Crescenzi's treatise on agriculture, around 1350, in the plain sense “that squeezes or tightens”.^[2] Tommaseo quotes the same text for a strong cane “squeezing” a noose, with the old form strignente.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The plain sense of the participle, “that grips, that presses”, was used of cold that “binds” streams and of a mother clasping her child.^[6] An old veterinary use was close to “astringent”, of a remedy that strengthens the legs of a horse.^[6]

The figurative senses grew from arguments and reasoning that “press” the listener.^[7][6] The GDLI quotes ragioni strignenti and a logica stringente from writers of the 17th to the 19th century, and Manzoni called a piece of writing stringentissimo.^[7] DELI dates the sense “persuasive, convincing” from Tommaseo's dictionary of 1873, the date Nocentini and Devoto–Oli give for the adjective as a whole, while Sabatini–Coletti put it in the 17th century.^[2][3][4][5] Tommaseo also records it for “important, urgent, pressing”.^[6] Today the main senses are “urgent, pressing” and “close, rigorous” of questions and logic.^[4][5][8]

Timeline

• c. 1350 – The participle stringente “that squeezes” appears in the translation of Crescenzi.^[2]
• 1873 – Tommaseo's dictionary records the sense “persuasive, convincing”.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. urgent, pressing: of a need, deadline or commitment that cannot wait: un obbligo stringente.^[8][4][5]
2. Close, relentless: of questions or an interrogation that leave no respite.^[8][4][9]
3. Rigorous and cogent: of an argument or logic that is hard to refute; persuasive.^{[8][5][10][11]}
4. (pharmacology) astringent: of a drug or substance with an astringent action.^[8][1]

Related words

• stringere
• astringente
• Latin stringō

Usage notes

Stringente is also the present participle of stringere in its plain sense “that squeezes”.^[8][9] The older form was strignente.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
8. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
9. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
10. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
11. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli