PUNITIVE Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

punitive

adjective

ˈpyü-nə-tiv

Definition of punitive

as in correctional

inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment any misbehavior was immediately met with a punitive response the company had to pay a million dollars in punitive damages

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of punitive Why is an incentive important, in your view, as opposed to more punitive measures like tariffs? — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026 Hasan deftly handles political seriousness and an unfathomable history and present of war and punitive state violence against Palestinians. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026 For Kyiv, punitive sanctions that impose real economic costs on Moscow are a key part of that strategy. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 But the city says the overall goal is to make parking less confusing and less punitive. — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punitive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for punitive

Adjective

The correctional center had recently been found to have fallen short of federal standards, including for medical care, by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.

— DORANY PINEDA, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2026
An inmate and 10 Cook County Jail correctional officers were hospitalized Sunday afternoon after a mattress fire.

— Greg Kelly, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of correctional

Adjective

Their ruling states that investigators should not have cited penal law as justification for seizing the artwork, and reproaches a lower court’s previous approval of their methods.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
She had originally been charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities, a felony.

— Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of penal

Adjective

Record which component failed, the product’s age, symptoms, installation conditions, corrective action and the time required to resolve it.

— Christopher Kiggins, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Yet even after federal intervention and the corrective action plan, large districts like Houston and Austin school districts struggled to meet IDEA requirements for thousands of children over several years.

— David Edward DeMatthews, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of corrective

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“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punitive. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of punitive

adjective

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