procrustean
adjective
pro·crus·te·an prə-ˈkrə-stē-ən 
prō-
often capitalized
1
: of, relating to, or typical of Procrustes
2
: marked by arbitrary often ruthless disregard of individual differences or special circumstances
Did you know?
Procrustes was one of many villains defeated by the Greek hero Theseus. According to Greek mythology, Procrustes was a robber who killed his victims in a most cruel and unusual way. He made them lie on an iron bed and would force them to fit the bed by cutting off the parts that hung off the ends or by stretching those people who were too short. Something Procrustean, therefore, takes no account of individual differences but cruelly and mercilessly makes everything the same. And a "procrustean bed" is a scheme or pattern into which someone or something is arbitrarily forced.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Everything made sense, and the procrustean constraints of gender fell away. 
Laura Hudson, Wired, 16 Nov. 2021 What was really at issue were European America’s procrustean racial ideas and policies. Damion Searls, Harper's magazine, 10 May 2019 Decades later, the discrete litmus tests each party imposes on judicial nominees—and particularly those imposed by the Federalist Society–enamored Republican Party—have evolved into a nearly procrustean template. Peter M. Shane, Slate Magazine, 5 July 2017
Laura Hudson, Wired, 16 Nov. 2021 What was really at issue were European America’s procrustean racial ideas and policies. Damion Searls, Harper's magazine, 10 May 2019 Decades later, the discrete litmus tests each party imposes on judicial nominees—and particularly those imposed by the Federalist Society–enamored Republican Party—have evolved into a nearly procrustean template. Peter M. Shane, Slate Magazine, 5 July 2017 Word History
First Known Use
1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing procrustean
- madder orange
- madder pink
- madder purple
- madder red
- madder rose
- madder scarlet
- madder violet
- madder yellow
- madders
- madderwort
- madderworts
- maddest
- madding
- maddish
- maddle
- made
- made a basket
- made a believer out of me
- made a big difference
- made a comeback
- made a dive for cover
- made a face
- made a hasty retreat
- made a pretense
- made a scene