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Draconian

[ drey-koh-nee-uhn, druh- ]
/ dreɪˈkoʊ ni ən, drə- /
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adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of the Athenian statesman Draco, or his severe code of laws.
(often lowercase) rigorous; unusually severe or cruel: Draconian forms of punishment.
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Also Draconic .

Origin of Draconian

First recorded in 1810–20; <Latin Dracōn- (stem of Draco) + -ian

OTHER WORDS FROM Draconian

Dra·co·ni·an·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Draconian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Draconian

draconian

draconic (dreɪˈkɒnɪk)

/ (dreɪˈkəʊnɪən) /

adjective (sometimes capital)
of or relating to Draco, 7th-century Athenian statesman and lawmaker, or his code of laws, which prescribed death for almost every offence
harshdraconian legislation

Derived forms of draconian

draconianism, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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