penal

adjective pe·nal \ ˈpē-nᵊl \

Updated on: 9 May 2018

Definition of penal

1 : of, relating to, or involving punishment, penalties, or punitive institutions

2 : liable to punishment

a penal offense

3 : used as a place of confinement and punishment

a penal colony

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penally

play \ˈpē-nᵊl-ē\ adverb

See penal defined for English-language learners

See penal defined for kids

Examples of penal in a Sentence

Australia was once a penal colony.

Recent Examples of penal from the Web

An astonishing amount of social trust is embedded in society, a phenomenon that is especially evident when looking at the country’s penal system.

— david segal, New York Times, "He Fled a Prison in Iceland. Now It’s Good to Be Back.," 4 May 2018
Even after making some sweeping changes that attempted to make golf rules more reasonable and adhering to common sense, there are still dozens of rules on the book that are preposterous and penal for no apparent reason.

— chris chase, For The Win, "13 incredibly bizarre rules in sports from dress codes to one-point safeties," 11 Apr. 2018
Fuller was arrested last week and charged with attempting to bring cannabis into a penal institution.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Parolee charged with trying to bring marijuana into Cook County Jail," 26 Mar. 2018
Eventually, behavioral genetics might lead to a profound change in our penal system.

— elijah wolfson, Newsweek, "My Genes Did It!," 5 Mar. 2014
The former article describes broadly the process by which MS-13, like other gangs, struggles for control in penal institutions.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "The White House's weekly 'immigrant crime' tally includes non-crimes and nonimmigrants," 9 Feb. 2018
Over the many decades, the city's police department and the St. Tammany Parish penal system have become much larger and more sophisticated - along with the population of the North Shore.

— kim chatelain, NOLA.com, "Mayberry-like jail in Old Mandeville needs love, supporters say," 8 Dec. 2017
According to the Associated Press, jail Supervisor Kashka Meadors and jail Deputy James Lee Ramsey-Guy are both charged with neglect of a resident of a penal facility, which is a felony punishable by up to three-and-a-half years in prison.

— breanna edwards, The Root, "Milwaukee Jail Staffers Facing Charges in Death of Inmate Who Died of Dehydration," 13 Feb. 2018
Meadors and Ramsey-Guy are both charged with neglect of a resident of a penal facility, a felony that punishable by up to 3 ½ years in prison.

— kalhan rosenblatt, NBC News, "3 Milwaukee jail staffers charged in dehydration death of mentally ill inmate," 13 Feb. 2018

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

Did You Know?

A state or country's penal code defines its crimes and describes its punishments. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many countries established penal colonies, where criminals were sent as punishment. Often these were unbearably severe; but it was to such colonies that some of Australia's and the United States' early white inhabitants came, and the convicts provided labor for the European settlement of these lands.

Origin and Etymology of penal

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin poenalis, from poena punishment — more at pain

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

penal Synonyms

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

PENAL Defined for English Language Learners

penal

adjective

Definition of penal for English Language Learners

: relating to or used for punishment
: very severe

PENAL Defined for Kids

penal

adjective pe·nal \ ˈpē-nᵊl \

Definition of penal for Students

: relating to or used for punishment

Word Root of penal

The Latin word poena, meaning “punishment,” gives us the root pen or pun. Words from the Latin poena have something to do with punishments. A penalty is a punishment for doing something wrong. Anything penal, such as a group of laws, explains punishments for specific crimes. Punish and punishment also come from poena.