View synonyms for

hard-and-fast

[hahrd-n-fast, -fahst]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

strongly binding; not to be set aside or violated.
hard-and-fast rules.
Synonyms: , , , , ,

hard and fast

adjective

(hard-and-fast when prenominal) (esp of rules) invariable or strict

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Other Word Forms

hard-and-fastness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of hard and fast¹

First recorded in 1865–70

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Idioms and Phrases

Defined, fixed, invariable, as in We have hard and fast rules for this procedure. This term originally was applied to a vessel that has come out of water, either by running aground or being put in dry dock, and is therefore unable to move. By the mid-1800s it was being used figuratively.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Though it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, Los Angeles often likes to go its own way after the New York group announces its top film.

From

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about how long a jury must keep attempting to resolve differences before a mistrial can be declared.

From

The famed neuroscientist and author reaches through the abstract realm of academic debates on consciousness by climbing down a richly biographical thread, connecting the high-minded with hard-and-fast reality.

From

“There are no hard-and-fast rules, only general guidelines and varied court decisions,” according to a digest by Stanford University librarians.

From

Whether Atlantic, chinook, sockeye, pink, coho or chum, sustainability depends on a variety of factors so there is no hard-and-fast rule.

From

hard act to follow hardanger

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