Main Entry:

pen·al·ty

Pronunciation:

\ˈpe-n^əl-tē\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural pen·al·ties

Etymology:

Middle English penalte, from Middle French penalité, from Medieval Latin poenalitas, from Latin poenalis

Date:

15th century

1: the suffering in person, rights, or property that is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime or public offense2: the suffering or the sum to be forfeited to which a person agrees to be subjected in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations3 a: disadvantage, loss, or hardship due to some action b: a disadvantage (as loss of yardage, time, or possession of the ball or an addition to or subtraction from the score) imposed on a team or competitor for violation of the rules of a sport4: points scored in bridge by the side that defeats the opposing contract —usually used in plural

— penalty adjective