machmir

Alternative Spellings

makhmir, mahmir

Definitions

• stringent, "taking the stricter position on an issue" (Weiser)
• meticulous

Example Sentences

• "He is always machmir to brush his hat and straighten his tie before he goes out in public." (Weiser)
• "When there is a doubt in a matter of Torah law, you must be machmir (strict); when there is a doubt in a matter of rabbinic law, you may be makil (lenient)." (http://www.jewfaq.org/search.shtml?Keywords=machmir)

Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew, Yiddish

Etymology

מחמיר

Who Uses This

Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).
Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

Notes

See also chumra, chumradik.