in the strict/strictest sense (of the word)

idiom

used to refer to using the correct or precise meaning of a word
He's not a volunteer in the strict/strictest sense (of the word) because he receives a small stipend.

Examples of in the strict/strictest sense (of the word) in a Sentence

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And for the most part, the assists credited to goalkeepers aren’t deliberate, in the strictest sense of the word — or at least in the same way a winger squaring a low cross for a striker to score into an open goal is. Nick Miller, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025 The regulatory scheme at issue may not be a prior restraint in the strict sense. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 24 Jan. 2025

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“In the strict/strictest sense (of the word).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20strict%2Fstrictest%20sense%20%28of%20the%20word%29. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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