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
If a court affirms that the city retaliated against The Trap, Loy said potential remedies could include civil remedies, such as compensatory or punitive damages.
—
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The Tsukahara family’s lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages and comes as Tesla faces multiple legal challenges regarding its vehicle safety designs.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
The lawsuit is seeking actual and punitive damages to be determined at a jury trial.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Nash’s lawyers are seeking general and compensatory damages; damages for emotional distress; punitive damages; costs of the lawsuit; and lost wages.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive damages
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The Tsukahara family’s lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages and comes as Tesla faces multiple legal challenges regarding its vehicle safety designs.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
The lawsuit is seeking actual and punitive damages to be determined at a jury trial.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Nash’s lawyers are seeking general and compensatory damages; damages for emotional distress; punitive damages; costs of the lawsuit; and lost wages.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive damages
Cite this Entry
“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share