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procrustean

Anything procrustean forces you to conform to a certain standard, even if it's harmful. A truly procrustean dress code would make everyone wear size seven shoes, no matter how large or small their feet are.

A track coach with procrustean expectations might make everyone run long races, not considering the fact that some team members excel at sprinting and long jump. And a tyrannical government may use procrustean tactics to control its citizens and take away their individuality. The word derives from the Greek myth of Procrustes, who forced people to physically fit in a bed by stretching them (or cutting off their legs).

Definitions of procrustean
  1. adjective
    enforcing conformity by violent or ruthless means, like the mythical giant Procrustes or his mode of torture
    synonyms: Procrustean
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