penalty
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.pen·al·ty
noun \ˈpe-nəl-tē\ plural pen·al·ties
Definition of PENALTY
1
: the suffering in person, rights, or property that is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime or public offense
2
: the suffering or the sum to be forfeited to which a person agrees to be subjected in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations
3
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 sport
4
: points scored in bridge by the side that defeats the opposing contract —usually used in plural
— penalty adjective
See Examples of PENALTY
- The company was given a severe penalty for the violation.
- They allowed him to pay back the money without a penalty.
- They allowed him to pay back the money without penalty.
- Lack of privacy is one of the penalties you pay for fame.
- The hockey player was given a penalty for holding.
Origin of PENALTY
Middle English penalte, from Middle French penalité, from Medieval Latin poenalitas, from Latin poenalis
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to PENALTY
- Synonyms
- damages, forfeit, forfeiture, mulct, fine
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