punishment
noun
pun·ish·ment
ˈpə-nish-mənt 
1
: the act of punishing
2
a
: suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution
b
: a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure
3
: severe, rough, or disastrous treatment
Examples of punishment in a Sentence
I took away my daughter's car keys as a punishment for her bad behavior.
The punishments that the government has inflicted on the protesters are severe and unjust.
The punishment for murder is life imprisonment.
Some religions teach that wicked people will suffer eternal punishment in hell after they die.
Recent Examples on the Web
Georgia lawmakers have approved a bill creating more legal punishments for protesters and others who obstruct the state's streets and highways.
—
Dan Raby, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The DoD, meanwhile, rejected Anthropic’s arguments that its refusal was a free-speech issue, and said its decision was based on national security, not punishment for the company’s views.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Even as Haitian security forces make some progress in clearing roads and deploying armored vehicles into previously inaccessible neighborhoods, Haitians living under gang control continue to be subjected to harsh punishment and enforcement tactics, a new United Nations human-rights report details.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Nothing might seem to have longer odds in deep-red Oklahoma than an effort to lessen punishments for violent crimes, but overcrowded prisons and rising costs were already forcing a rethinking of harsh, decades-old sentencing laws.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Dan Raby, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The DoD, meanwhile, rejected Anthropic’s arguments that its refusal was a free-speech issue, and said its decision was based on national security, not punishment for the company’s views.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Even as Haitian security forces make some progress in clearing roads and deploying armored vehicles into previously inaccessible neighborhoods, Haitians living under gang control continue to be subjected to harsh punishment and enforcement tactics, a new United Nations human-rights report details.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Nothing might seem to have longer odds in deep-red Oklahoma than an effort to lessen punishments for violent crimes, but overcrowded prisons and rising costs were already forcing a rethinking of harsh, decades-old sentencing laws.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punishment. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
punishment
noun
pun·ish·ment
ˈpən-ish-mənt
1
a
: the act of punishing
b
: the state or fact of being punished
persons undergoing punishment
2
: the penalty for a fault or crime
the punishment for robbery
3
: severe, rough, or disastrous treatment
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