To save this word, you'll need to log in.
in·flic·tion | \ in-ˈflik-shən 
\
\Definition of infliction
1 : the act of inflicting
2 : something (such as punishment or suffering) that is inflicted
Examples of infliction in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web If only, preposterously, all those miniscule actions were not tiny inflictions on the environment, but tiny improvements to it.
—
Wired, "Want to Plant More Trees? Just Use a Different Search Engine," 8 Nov. 2019 Tiffany Wells, of Massachusetts, filed the federal lawsuit Friday in the Central District of California for libel, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
—
Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, "Former Postmates driver sues Lizzo after singer accused her of stealing food order," 16 Nov. 2019 According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, Arriaga admitted a special circumstance allegation that the murder was intentional and involved the infliction of torture as part of her plea.
—
Thomas Wright, The Mercury News, "Seaside woman pleads guilty to murder by torture of dependent adult," 30 Aug. 2019 Video content restrictions Content that displays the deliberate infliction of animal suffering or the forcing of animals to fight is not allowed on YouTube.
—
Andrew Norton, Ars Technica, "YouTube flags robot battle videos as “animal fights”," 22 Aug. 2019 In 2015, the couple tried to sue the previous tenants, John and Andrea Woods, over claims of fraudulent concealment, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and several other issues related to the sale of the property.
—
Allen Kim, CNN, "'The Watcher' house is sold years after a family was terrorized with creepy letters," 12 Aug. 2019 Rich is suing the defendants for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy, among other actions.
—
Marwa Eltagouri, Washington Post, "Brother of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich sues right-wing activists, newspaper over conspiracy theories," 27 Mar. 2018 Montia Sabbag is suing the comedian, 40, for $60 million in damages for alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and invasion of privacy, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
—
Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Kevin Hart Sued for $60 Million by Woman at Center of Alleged Sex Extortion Scandal," 16 Sep. 2019 The suit alleges the officers opened fire on DeCarlo while his hands were raises and seeks unspecified damages for claims of excessive force, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—
Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, "Vallejo seeks to delay federal lawsuit case against police officers," 6 June 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'infliction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on infliction
What made you want to look up infliction? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Semantic Drift Quiz
- Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share infliction
Time Traveler for infliction
The first known use of infliction was in 1534
See more words from the same year