Word of the Day

: November 1, 2006

rhadamanthine

adjective rad-uh-MAN-thun

What It Means

: often capitalized : rigorously strict or just

rhadamanthine in Context

The judge took the maliciousness of the crime into account and decided upon a rhadamanthine punishment.

Did You Know?

In Greek mythology, there were three judges of the underworld: Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthus. Minos, a son of Zeus and Europa, had been the king of Crete before becoming supreme judge in the underworld after his death. Aeacus, another son of Zeus, was king of Aegina before joining the underworld triumvirate. Rhadamanthus, brother of Minos and king of the Cyclades Islands, was especially known for being inflexible when administering his judgment -- hence, the meaning of "rhadamanthine" as "rigorously strict or just."