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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
Piracy Shield is often labeled as draconian by opponents because blocking content via DNS is messy.
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Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
But one draconian idea would impose $1 million bonds on any groups trying to launch a petition drive.
—Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
The state already imposes a tax $1.10 per $1,000 of sales price and the city of Los Angeles and the city and county of San Francisco recently adopted draconian transfer taxes that tax some properties at 5.5%.
—John Franklin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
The draconian cuts to the IRS staffing and budget will likely exacerbate this problem.
—David Rae, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
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Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
But one draconian idea would impose $1 million bonds on any groups trying to launch a petition drive.
—Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
The state already imposes a tax $1.10 per $1,000 of sales price and the city of Los Angeles and the city and county of San Francisco recently adopted draconian transfer taxes that tax some properties at 5.5%.
—John Franklin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
The draconian cuts to the IRS staffing and budget will likely exacerbate this problem.
—David Rae, Forbes, 19 Mar. 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 Apr. 2025.
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