Definition of draconian
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Examples of draconian in a Sentence
The editorial criticizes the draconian measures being taken to control the spread of the disease.
Recent Examples of draconian from the Web
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But even a senator from deeply conservative Kansas, Sen. Jerry Moran, opposed the bill’s draconian cuts, which likely would punish the rural hospitals in his state.
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The latest draconian bit of policy to come from the White House is a drastic increase in the number of briefings where cameras are banned.
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Benjy Sarlin at NBC.com has a terrific and thorough examination of what McConnellcare would do—including cuts to Medicaid that may be more draconian even than what’s proposed in the House’s AHCA bill.
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The bill — which would strip Planned Parenthood of more than 40 percent of its total funding for a year, and includes draconian cuts to Medicaid, two-thirds of whose users are female — was drafted in secret by 13 men, including the majority leader.
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The draconian cuts to Medicaid will put lives at risk — including low-income pregnant women, children and older adults.
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President Trump might change course and pass a popular domestic initiative, or benefit from a foreign crisis, or some kind of racialized conflict provoked by his draconian law-enforcement policies.
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But some have been seized and given draconian sentences for seemingly minor offenses.
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But unlike other veterans, undocumented veterans lack the same safety net provided by the office of Veteran Affairs because of draconian immigration laws that put undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation for the minor offenses.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'draconian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Draconian comes from Draco, the name of a 7th-century B.C. Athenian legislator who created a written code of law. Draco's code was intended to clarify preexistent laws, but its severity is what made it really memorable. In Draco's code, even minor offenses were punishable by death, and failure to pay one's debts could result in slavery. Draconian, as a result, became associated with things cruel or harsh. Something draconian need not always be as cruel as the laws in Draco's code, though - today the word is used in a wide variety of ways and often refers to measures (steep parking fines, for example) that are relatively minor when compared with the death penalty.
Origin and Etymology of draconian
Latin Dracon-, Draco, from Greek Drakōn Draco (Athenian lawgiver)
DRACONIAN Defined for English Language Learners
draconian
playDefinition of draconian for English Language Learners
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: very severe or cruel
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See words that rhyme with draconian Britannica English: Translation of draconian for Arabic speakers
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