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 Jabbari is seeking more than $75,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, according to the lawsuit. Maria Sole Campinoti, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Jabbari requested a jury trial and is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys' fees, costs and other relief. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024 What's next The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages against the city, the police department and the officer as well as legal fees. The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 Ricketts is seeking punitive damages and lost wages as remedies. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 14 Feb. 2024 In 2021 Boeing admitted to liability in the two crashes, agreeing to pay compensatory damages, which allowed the company to avoid the possibility of having to pay far more in punitive damages. Chris Isidore, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 In their most recent complaint, filed in New York state court in July, the owners asked for a total of $376 million, much of it in punitive damages, for 11 claims, including breach of contract and negligence. Ethan M Steinberg, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 Award punitive damages, interest, costs, attorney fees; and any other relief to which Synan may be entitled. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024

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.

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punitive damages was in 1858

Dictionary Entries Near punitive damages

Cite this Entry

“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

punitive damages

see damage sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on punitive damages

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!