Meaning & use
rigorous curriculum
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Meaning
nouncountable
A program of study that is very demanding, thorough, and academically challenging.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'a' or 'the'. The plural is 'rigorous curricula' or 'rigorous curriculums'.
Patterns
- a rigorous curriculum
- the rigorous curriculum
- rigorous curricula
The school is known for its rigorous curriculum in science and math.
Students often struggle with the rigorous curriculum at this university.
A rigorous curriculum prepares students for challenging careers.
Word forms
| plural | rigorous curricula |
|---|---|
| plural | rigorous curriculums |
Common combinations
- implement a rigorous curriculum
- The district decided to implement a rigorous curriculum across all high schools.
- academically rigorous curriculum
- Parents are looking for an academically rigorous curriculum.
- maintain a rigorous curriculum
- It is difficult to maintain a rigorous curriculum without good teachers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demanding curriculum
- Similar, but 'demanding' focuses on the effort required, while 'rigorous' stresses high standards and thoroughness.
- challenging curriculum
- Often used in the same way, but 'challenging' can sound less formal than 'rigorous'.
Opposites
Word family
- rigor noun
- The quality of being thorough and strict; the noun form of 'rigorous'.
- rigorously adverb
- In a thorough and strict way.
Commonly confused: rigorous curriculum or vigorous?
rigorous curriculum vs vigorous
Means strong and energetic, often about physical activity; 'rigorous' is about being strict and thorough.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'rigorous curriculum' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Rigorous curriculum' is a noun phrase meaning a demanding course of study, so it fits as the object of 'offers'. The other options misuse it as an adjective, verb, or person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rigorous curriculum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.