penalty

noun

pen·​al·​ty ˈpe-nᵊl-tē How to pronounce penalty (audio)
plural penalties
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
trespassing forbidden under penalty of imprisonment
2
: the suffering or the sum to be forfeited to which a person agrees to be subjected in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations
A penalty was imposed on the contractor for breach of contract.
3
a
: disadvantage, loss, or hardship due to some action
Loss of privacy is one of the penalties you pay for fame.
b
: a disadvantage (such 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
The team was given a penalty for the foul.
4
: points scored in bridge by the side that defeats the opposing contract
usually used in plural
penalty adjective

Examples of penalty in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web Dallas Seavey overcame killing a moose and receiving a time penalty to win the Iditarod on Tuesday, a record-breaking sixth championship in the world's most famous sled dog race. CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 Arsenal’s home advantage then proved pivotal in the penalty shootout. Matias Grez, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 The Texas legislature has supported the operation by increasing penalties for smuggling and authorizing local police to take on immigration enforcement. Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Dentons’ lawyers said even if the firm had breached money-laundering rules then its conduct wasn’t sufficiently serious to merit any kind of penalty. Jonathan Browning, Fortune Europe, 11 Mar. 2024 The Justice Department said the $365 million settlement, about $183,000 of which constitutes lost import duties and the remainder is penalties, is one of the largest customs penalty settlements reached on behalf of the Customs agency in recent history. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024 Under the new legislation, penalties for sedition have been increased, with the maximum sentence raised to seven years in jail from the existing two years. Alan Wong, Fortune Asia, 9 Mar. 2024 The law targets political offenses like treason and insurrection with penalties as harsh as life imprisonment, giving officials more power to curb dissent. David Pierson, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Last fall, the Education Department imposed millions of dollars in monetary penalties on MOHELA after borrowers received incorrect or untimely billing statements following the return to repayment. Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penalty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of penalty was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near penalty

Cite this Entry

“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penalty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

penalty

noun
pen·​al·​ty ˈpen-ᵊl-tē How to pronounce penalty (audio)
plural penalties
1
: punishment for a crime or offense
2
: something forfeited when one fails to do what one has agreed to do
3
: disadvantage, loss, or hardship due to some action or condition
4
: a punishment or handicap given for breaking a rule in a sport or game

Legal Definition

penalty

noun
pen·​al·​ty ˈpen-ᵊl-tē How to pronounce penalty (audio)
plural penalties
1
: a punishment that is imposed on a wrongdoer by statute or judicial decision
2
: a pecuniary sum that by agreement is to be paid by a party who fails to fulfill an obligation to another and that is punitive rather than compensatory
the court declined to enforce the contractual penalty and determined actual damages instead

More from Merriam-Webster on penalty

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