Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Required by the current fashion or custom; socially obligatory.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Strictly required, as by etiquette, usage, rule, etc.; essential; imperative: as, full dress is de rigueur.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • According to strictness (of etiquette, rule, or the like); obligatory; strictly required.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Necessary according to etiquette, protocol or fashion.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective required by etiquette or usage or fashion

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French : de, of + rigueur, rigor, strictness.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French de rigueur ("required"), from de ("of") + rigueur ("rigour/rigor").

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Examples

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Comments

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  • I often hear this word misused. People use it to mean de jour

    August 25, 2007

  • French expression that literally means "of rigor" or "of strictness", comparable to "the done thing", a standard

    June 28, 2008

  • That's helpful, Mercy! I could never remember 1) what it meant or 2) how to spell it.

    ETA: Sorry for getting your name wrong. For some reason I keep reading it as Mary.

    June 28, 2008