整肃 (zhěng sù) — strict, rigid (of discipline, atmosphere, or personal style); to purge, to rectify, to tighten up (organizationally or politically)

Definition

整肃 (zhěngsù) means 'strict/rigid' in style or discipline, and as a verb sense 'to purge/rectify' a group or organization. More formal and political than everyday words for tidy or strict.

adjective
strictrigid (of discipline, atmosphere, or personal style)to purgeto rectifyto tighten up (organizationally or politically)

Examples

  • 整肃，。
    Zhè wèi lǐng dǎo zuò fēng zhěng sù, cóng bù yǔn xǔ rèn hé sōng xiè.
    This leader has a strict style and never allows any slackness.
  • 整肃，。
    Gōng sī jué dìng zhěng sù nèi bù jì lǜ, yǐ tí gāo xiào lǜ.
    The company decided to tighten internal discipline in order to improve efficiency.
  • 整肃，。
    Zhèng fǔ dà lì zhěng sù fǔ bài guān yuán, shēn dé mín xīn.
    The government vigorously purged corrupt officials and won popular support.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

整zhěngorderly
肃sùstrict

“整” orderly and “肃” strict combine to mean strict discipline or a purge.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
敕敕chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng整zhěng
Same sound today

整 pairs 敕 as the meaning side with 正 as the sound side.

Open 整 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 肅; 肃 is its simplified writing.

  • 𦘒𦘒𦘒
  • 𣶒𣶒𣶒

The traditional form 肅 is made of 𦘒 and 𣶒, whose picture is unclear; one old explanation sees a person sweeping or walking with a staff near an abyss, trembling in fear. The simplified 肃 is a later shorthand.

Open 肃 →

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