corporal punishment
noun
: punishment that involves hitting someone : physical punishment
The school banned corporal punishment many years ago.
Examples of corporal punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The regulations’ unanimous passage in 2022 followed a New York Times investigation detailing widespread educational failures — including young boys who graduated unable to speak English fluently or do basic arithmetic — and allegations of corporal punishment in some of the schools.
—
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025
Things took a dark turn next, however, with Hawk getting arrested in Southern California in late summer 2020 on domestic violence allegations of inflicting corporal punishment on a spouse or cohabitant in Santa Ana.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Thailand bans the corporal punishment of children The Southeast Asian nation became the 68th country to prohibit the use of physical or psychological violence in any setting.
—Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 2025
But former students who attended during the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, when most of the abuse is alleged to have taken place, say some corporal punishment was socially acceptable in French schools at the time.
—Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for corporal punishment
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.
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025
Things took a dark turn next, however, with Hawk getting arrested in Southern California in late summer 2020 on domestic violence allegations of inflicting corporal punishment on a spouse or cohabitant in Santa Ana.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Thailand bans the corporal punishment of children The Southeast Asian nation became the 68th country to prohibit the use of physical or psychological violence in any setting.
—Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 2025
But former students who attended during the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, when most of the abuse is alleged to have taken place, say some corporal punishment was socially acceptable in French schools at the time.
—Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for corporal punishment
Cite this Entry
“Corporal punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporal%20punishment. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share