It wasn't illegal in the strict sense (of the word).

严格说来，这不算违法。

《牛津词典》

A bat is not a bird in the strict sense.

从严格意义上讲，蝙蝠不是鸟。

youdao

Of course there is something more in the strict sense of marriage.

当然婚姻还有更多的积极因素。

youdao

The megalopsychos the gentleman whatever else he is is not a philosopher in the strict sense.

这种，Megalopsychos，绅士,以严格的标准看来并非哲学家,从社会学角度看来。

耶鲁公开课 - 政治哲学导论课程节选

First of all, I found secretary Rumsfeld a very easy person to deal with in a sense that he's very professional, very strict, very honest, not the kind of guy who, you know, take a different position, try to around behind your back. If he's going to stab you, he's going to stab you in the chest.

首先，我发现拉姆斯菲尔德秘书长,是很容易打交道的人,我指的是他非常专业，非常严格，非常诚恳，不像那类人，因为观点立场不同,就从你背后放冷箭,如果他想杀了你，也是从正面进攻。

普林斯顿公开课 - 国际座谈会课程节选

What is evident is that the relations between ministers and mandarins are at a crisis, in the strict medical sense of that word: that is to say, they are at a point at which they will either get better, or drastically worse.

ECONOMIST: Tony Blair��s mighty servant

But in everything except the strict accounting sense of the word Mr Ashcroft has become a liability.

ECONOMIST: Living on his wits

Consequently, the study of corruption ought to include acts that may be legal in a strict narrow sense but where the rules of the game have been bent.

FORBES: Corruption And The Global Financial Crisis