Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DRACONIAN

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pronounce DRACONIAN: Say it "dray KO nee yun." To hear it, click here. Or, if you prefer, loosen up the first syllable and say "druh KO nee yun." connect this word to others: Today we're checking out the word Draconian, which describes laws that call for harsh, inflexible punishments. Much like our word Rh_d_m____ine, which describes people who hand out harsh, inflexible punishments. Can you recall that one? It's from myth, but today's term is from history. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: In Latin, draco, the source of our words "dragon" and "Dracula," means "dragon" or "huge snake." We're not sure about this, but draco might have a more literal meaning: "a creature with a deadly glance." Draco, along with its Greek equivalent Drakon, is also a person's name. In ancient Greece, a ruler named Drakon earned fame for his extremely harsh laws. It's ancient history, so it's hard to verify all this, but Aristotle wrote that Drakon's laws pretty much sentenced everybody to death if they broke the law even a little bit. Check this out, from Plutarch's Lives: Death was the punishment for almost every offence, so that even men convicted of idleness were executed, and those who stole pot-herbs or fruits suffered just like sacrilegious robbers and murderers... Drakon's laws were not written with ink, but with blood. It is said that Drakon himself, when asked why he had fixed the punishment of death for most offences, answered that he considered these lesser crimes to deserve it, and he had no greater punishment for more important ones. So, for several hundred years in English, we've used "Draconian" to refer to rules or laws that are extremely harsh or way too punishing, often in a way that treats minor mistakes as if they were just as bad as major crimes. And sometimes, we use it more loosely to describe anything that's strict or severe in a very comprehensive way. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Adjective, usually the proper kind: "their Draconian idea of justice." Other forms:  If you prefer, you can treat it as a common adjective (instead of a proper one) by using a lowercase: "their draconian policies." There's another form, "Draconic," that you might see in old texts. The adverb is "Draconically," and the noun is "Draconianism." how to use it: Traditionally, "Draconian" describes laws, rules, and punishments: "That's a Draconian bill and I'll vote against it;" "Why do we need such Draconian penalties?" It's been a pretty rare word for centuries. These days, however, it seems to be getting more common, and as a result, the meaning is loosening up. So although it once only meant "giving harsh punishments in response to all rule-breaking, as if all sins were equally terrible," now it can also mean "strict, severe, or comprehensive." Using that second, looser meaning, we talk about Draconian goals, processes, regulation, budget cuts, etc. For example, you'll hear about Draconian measures for controlling the spread of a virus; those measures have less to do with punishments and more to do with caution. (I expect we'll see the capital D disappear soon, like the capital H in "Herculean," or "herculean" if you prefer, you wild young thing.) How will you respond to this looser new meaning of "Draconian"? Will you, A, go out and correct the folks using it that way because they're obviously wrong and ignorant; or B, tolerate them because you understand what they mean and you're glad they're enjoying the word; or C, join them in using "Draconian" more loosely? That's up to you. I'm going with B.  Even before that semantic drift, "Draconian" has always been one of those great terms that sounds exactly like what it means. So even if your listeners haven't yet heard it on the news, or haven't heard of the ancient Greek ruler Drakon, they'll still get it. examples: "Draconian lockdown measures in Wuhan, China, are credited for keeping down the death rate in the early weeks [of the pandemic]."     — Tom Howell Jr., Washington Times, 29 July 2020 "In 1999, Yahoo claimed... [the right] to do what it wanted with its users' text and photos. But in the face of widespread protest -- and competitors advertising that their own products were free from such Draconian terms -- Yahoo backed down about a week later."    — Scientific American, 17 December 2012 has this page helped you understand "Draconian"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "Draconian" without saying "cruel" or "indiscriminately punishing." try it out: Have you noticed how, even though the Harry Potter universe is full of Draconian characters, Draco himself, despite being a jerk, is notably non-Draconian? Seriously! You've got Argus Filch, who wants to hang kids up by their thumbs for getting out of bed at night; Dolores Umbridge, whose idea of detention is making kids carve sentences into their own skin; and Voldemort, who, according to the Harry Potter wiki, puts 39 people to death, some of whom were probably just standing around in his way. Very Draconian. Meanwhile Draco just wants to be popular and good at Quidditch. And have friends who are less dumb.  Well, okay. Here's Draco being slightly Draconian: "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments." "Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git." He's hardly handing out death sentences. He's no Voldemort. With Voldemort in mind as an example, talk about another person (real or fictional) who judges or punishes people Draconically. If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game for April is "Netflix and Anagram." Check out the anagrammed title of a series or movie you can watch on Netflix, along with a descriptive sentence or two about it from Google. See if you can come up with the real title. To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Here's an example. IF CRUEL: "After abandoning his throne and retiring to Los Angeles, he indulges in his favorite things (women, wine and song) -- until a murder takes place outside of his upscale nightclub." The answer is LUCIFER. Try this one today: SUNBAKE ROT: "A teenager enlists his three best friends to hunt for a legendary treasure linked to his father's disappearance." review this word: 1. A near opposite of DRACONIAN is A. MODERN. B. LENIENT. C. HARRY-POTTER-Y. 2. Something Seussian is whimsical; something Kafkaesque is nightmarish; something Draconian is _____. A. fiery B. vampiric C. sadistic Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C Answer to the game question: OUTER BANKS. a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.