Draconian
Adjective
- (Law) Of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws held to have been framed by him.
- Cruel; also, severe.
Example Sentences
“Blocking social media on the office Wi-Fi felt a bit draconian to the interns who just wanted to scroll during their break.”
“The HOA’s new lawn policies are borderline draconian — you can get fined if your grass is half an inch too tall.”
“My gym instituted a draconian cancellation policy that charges the full class fee if you reschedule less than 48 hours in advance.”
Word Origin
Latin, late 18th century
Why this word?
This adjective, referring to cruel or severe rules, stems from Draco, the Athenian who wrote the legal code known as Draconian laws around 620 BCE. These laws were extremely unforgiving — the punishment for almost every criminal offense was death. Someone using the word “draconian” today is most likely referring not to this original legal code but instead to strict rules with seemingly out-of-proportion punishments. A teenager might claim that getting their phone taken away after a bad grade on a test is a draconian response.
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