draconian
pronunciation
How to pronounce draconian in British English:
UK [drəˈkəʊniən]
How to pronounce draconian in American English:
US [drəˈkoʊniən]
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- Adjective:
- of or relating to Draco or his harsh code of laws
Word Origin
- draconian
- draconian: [18] Draconian ‘excessively harsh’ is a monument to the severe code of laws drawn up in 621 BC by the Athenian statesman Draco. Its purpose was to banish inequities in the system which were leading at the time to rumblings and threats of rebellion among the common people, and to an extent it succeeded, but all it is now remembered for is its almost pathological harshness: the most trivial infraction was punished with death. When taxed with his laws’ severity, Draco is said to have replied ‘Small crimes deserve death, and for great crimes I know of no penalty severer’.
- draconian (adj.)
- 1876 (earlier Draconic, implied from 1640s), from Draco, Greek statesman who laid down a code of laws for Athens 621 B.C.E. that mandated death as punishment for minor crimes. His name seems to mean literally "sharp-sighted" (see dragon).
Example
- 1. Mr motani takes a more draconian view .
- 2. Some argue that only draconian re-regulation can spare taxpayers from the next crisis .
- 3. In practice , though , america is unlikely to impose draconian price controls .
- 4. And mr. razak 's government just passed through a draconian law regulating the export of dual-use technologies to countries like iran .
- 5. But as prices rose out of line with incomes , the government was forced to impose draconian controls , choking off demand .