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Draconian comes from Drakōn, the name (later Latinized as Draco) of a 7th-century B.C. Athenian legislator who created a written code of law. Drakōn’s code was intended to clarify existing laws, but its severity is what made it really memorable. According to the code, even minor offenses were punishable by death, and failure to pay one's debts could result in slavery. Draconian, as a result, is used especially for authoritative actions that are viewed as cruel or harsh.
Examples of draconian in a Sentence
The editorial criticizes the draconian measures being taken to control the spread of the disease.
Recent Examples on the Web
Democrats will shriek about draconian spending cuts, but the instructions the House has given are modest — really, too modest, if the goal is to change the long-run trajectory of the federal debt.
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The Editors, National Review, 27 Feb. 2025
When the documentary begins, the network still operates freely in Russia but is subject to draconian guidelines, one requiring that a message be broadcast before each program stating that everything is lies spread by foreign agents.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025
Fortunately, there is a way to make such withholding much less draconian—and for most legitimate private investors, at least those not based in China, innocuous.
—Alex Raskolnikov, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2025
This draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.
—Kathryn Krupnik, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
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The Editors, National Review, 27 Feb. 2025
When the documentary begins, the network still operates freely in Russia but is subject to draconian guidelines, one requiring that a message be broadcast before each program stating that everything is lies spread by foreign agents.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025
Fortunately, there is a way to make such withholding much less draconian—and for most legitimate private investors, at least those not based in China, innocuous.
—Alex Raskolnikov, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2025
This draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.
—Kathryn Krupnik, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/draconian. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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