punitive damages
plural noun
: damages awarded in excess of compensation to the plaintiff to punish a defendant for a serious wrong
Examples of punitive damages in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Carroll was awarded $17.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages.
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Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
In the end, the judge awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, which were ultimately capped by the state of Virginia; the judge also awarded $2 million to Heard’s counterclaim.
—New York Daily News, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive damages 
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
In the end, the judge awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, which were ultimately capped by the state of Virginia; the judge also awarded $2 million to Heard’s counterclaim.
—New York Daily News, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive damages
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punitive damages.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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