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.
of or relating to Draco, 7th-century Athenian statesman and lawmaker, or his code of laws, which prescribed death for almost every offence
harsh
draconian legislation
First recorded in 1810–20; < Latin Dracōn- (stem of Draco ) + -ian
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Draconian policies and skyrocketing detainee populations coupled with lack of oversight and worsening conditions in the detention facilities are driving this surge, which seems set to continue.
From Slate ● Mar. 19, 2026
One of his earliest roles was as a Draconian Guard in Doctor Who in the 1970s.
From BBC ● May 31, 2022
Draconian policies, enacted decades ago in response to violence in the pools, continue to restrict what bathers can take onto pool decks, infusing the pools with what Ms. Amaro called “a prison-yard mentality.”
From New York Times ● May 28, 2022
Draconian measures designed to slow the spread of coronavirus mean millions of Brazilians are now cooped up at home and unable to take their anger on to the streets.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 25, 2020
“Where do you think you would be without the Draconian Marsh role?”
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
The issues MLB raises are legitimate; the solutions need not be so draconian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
These programs aren’t draconian and don’t require people to be on lifelong restrictive diets, so sticking with them is easier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
We always look to find investments at a price that should yield a lot of upside and not a lot of downside when we model draconian assumptions about potential scenarios.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
Everything fell: oil prices, the dollar, even gold, because investors were shocked by how unsophisticated and draconian the policy was.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026
The permeability of North Korea’s border tends to improve when border guards and local officials can accept bribes without draconian punishment from higher-ups.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
