Definition of CASTIGATION

Choose the Right Synonym for castigate

punish, chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline, correct mean to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing. punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing. punished for stealing chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation. chastised his son for neglecting his studies castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure. an editorial castigating the entire city council chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued. chastened by a landslide election defeat discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control. parents must discipline their children correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender. the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer

Did You Know?

Castigate has a synonym in chastise - both verbs mean to punish or to censure someone. Fittingly, both words derive from the same root: the Latin castigare, formed from the words for "pure" (castus) and "to drive" (agere). (Castus also gave us the noun caste, meaning "social class or rank.") Another verb derived from castigare is chasten, which can also mean "to discipline by punishment" but more commonly means "to subdue or make humble" (as in "chastened by his foolish error"). Castigate is the youngest of the three verbs in English, dating from the early 17th century, some three centuries after chasten and chastise.

Examples of castigate in a Sentence

The author castigated the prime minister as an ineffective leader. castigated him for his constant tardiness

Recent Examples on the Web

The letter also castigates Comey for usurping the authority of his Justice Department bosses by announcing the conclusion of the Clinton investigation without seeking their approval, a criticism echoed by the inspector general last month. — Eric Tucker And Chad Day, chicagotribune.com, "Trump lawyers call Comey 'Machiavellian' in confidential memo to Mueller," 7 July 2018 In those days, America’s allies routinely castigated the United States for being unilateralist and interventionist, and Washington criticized the allies’ free-riding tendencies. — Brian Finlay, Fortune, "Trump Might Be Right About NATO—but for All the Wrong Reasons," 6 July 2018 Look at these headlines as many outlets castigated President Trump for his harsh language during a meeting on sanctuary cities but his words were wrenched out (ph) of context. — Fox News, "N.Y. Times' mea culpa on FBI probe," 21 May 2018 Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, castigated Trump for his remarks on Vladimir Putin and for his animosity toward U.S. allies and trading partners. — Jennifer Epstein, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Reiterates Call to Bring Russia Back Into Group of Eight," 9 June 2018 The letter castigates Comey for usurping the authority of his Justice Department bosses by announcing the conclusion of the Clinton investigation without seeking their approval, a criticism echoed by the inspector general last month. — CBS News, "Report: Trump's lawyers blast Comey as "Machiavellian" in memo to Mueller," 7 July 2018 President Donald Trump later castigated the restaurant on Twitter, saying that the restaurant’s exterior was dirty. — Glenn Fleishman, Fortune, "In Unusual Move, Secret Service Will Protect White Press Secretary Sarah Sanders," 26 June 2018 Fallon was swiftly castigated by social media, the press, and fellow comedians. — Meagan Fredette, refinery29.com, "Jimmy Fallon Cries Out His Regrets About The Infamous Trump Interview," 24 June 2018 Regardless, the comments went viral: Without missing a beat, the internet and the media was swift to castigate Trump over his deplorable remarks. — Juan Escalante, Vox, "Trump’s rhetoric, and agencies like ICE immigration enforcement, dehumanize immigrants.," 18 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'castigate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.