three-strike
|three-strike|
/ˌθriːˈstraɪk/
3 strikes → severe consequence
Etymology
'three-strike' is a modern compound of English 'three' + 'strike', formed in American English in the late 20th century. It was modeled on the baseball phrase 'three strikes (and you're out)' and applied metaphorically to laws and policies.
'three-strike' developed from the baseball idiom 'three strikes (and you're out)' and was adapted in the 1990s to refer specifically to 'three-strikes' criminal statutes (notably California's laws enacted in the early 1990s), eventually stabilizing as 'three-strike' or 'three-strikes' in legal and journalistic usage.
Originally referring to the literal baseball rule (a batter receiving three strikes is out), the term evolved into a broader metaphor and legal label meaning 'three qualifying offenses trigger a severe penalty'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a policy or law (especially in criminal justice) that imposes a very severe penalty (often a long prison term or life sentence) on a person convicted of three specified serious offenses.
The state's three-strike law resulted in longer sentences for many repeat offenders.
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Adjective 1
describing a rule, penalty, or situation that applies when three qualifying 'strikes' or offenses have occurred (used attributively, as in 'three-strike policy').
The city council adopted a three-strike policy for repeat vandals.
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Last updated: 2025/11/19 07:14