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.
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
In recent years, the Center has broadened its legal work, returning to some poverty law; around eighty attorneys now work in five Southern states, challenging, among other things, penal juvenile-justice systems and Draconian anti-immigration laws.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 21, 2019
“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
"The imposition of such draconian sanctions on international judges is unprecedented," said the 66-page filing, which demands the sanctions be lifted.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Hockney grumbled constantly about the iron grip of draconian forces in America: in particular the new lack of tolerance for public smoking.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
The scientists’ initial reaction to these increasingly draconian strictures was to treat them whimsically.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
