Procrustean

[proh-kruhs-tee-uhn]

adjective

1. pertaining to or suggestive of Procrustes.

2. (often lowercase),  tending to produce conformity by violent or arbitrary means.

Procrustean

/ prəʊˈkrʌstɪən /

adjective

1. tending or designed to produce conformity by violent or ruthless methods

Word History and Origins

Origin of Procrustean¹

First recorded in 1640–50; Procruste(s) + -an

Example Sentences

If you’re the parent of a child with special needs who’s felt the cold procrustean hands of the public school system, you know what this father is up against.

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Perhaps it’s worth mentioning here that zero — that’s zero — Syrian refugees allowed into the U.S. through our procrustean refugee program have been involved in a fatal terrorist attack.

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At bottom, net neutrality has become a procrustean fetish.

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Alas, antitrust’s procrustean prejudice against cooperative acts by competitors stands in the way.

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There are historical and political reasons why Pakistan is what one writer has called a "procrustean hell".

Read more on The Guardian

Related Words

• ruthless