penal

adjective pe·nal \ ˈpē-nᵊl \

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

Amendments to the state penal code required that public facilities be segregated by race, from state parks to tuberculosis wards.

— mitchel p. roth, Smithsonian, "Desegregation Came Early at the Texas Prison Rodeo," 30 Aug. 2017
And while the Nazis were defeated and the horrors of the Holocaust came to an end, the genocide of indigenous people by the U.S. government is ongoing, and slavery is still legal within our penal system.

— crystal marie fleming, The Root, "To Be Clear, White Supremacy Is the Foundation of Our Country. It Won’t Be Destroyed by Toppling Statues," 19 Aug. 2017
The Old Dominion, moreover, is among several states that added domestic-terrorism crimes to their penal codes following 9/11.

— andrew c. mccarthy, National Review, "Let Virginia Prosecute the Charlottesville Terrorism," 14 Aug. 2017
Tuesday's vote to scrap Article 308 of the penal code capped an emotional parliament debate, reflecting the schism in Jordanian society.

— Bloomberg.com, "Jordan Activists Celebrate Repeal of 'Marry the Rapist' Law," 1 Aug. 2017
The Vatican tribunal, which roughly follows the Italian penal code, has jurisdiction over crimes committed on Vatican territory, or by Vatican citizens or public officials.

— Washington Post, "Vatican trial dawns for alleged misuse of hospital donations," 17 July 2017
According to the Texas penal code, though, a fight including seven or more participants is considered a riot.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "Mall riot in Killeen leads to eight arrests," 16 July 2017
Symptoms are often undetected in women while men can experience painful urination or a penal discharge.

— lynne terry, OregonLive.com, "Gonorrhea epidemic hits Oregon," 13 July 2017
If convicted, these young people will have traded the sanctuary that Covenant House was offering them for the disrespect and dehumanization of the penal system.

— carlie kollath wells, NOLA.com, "3rd suspect in French Quarter beating now in custody," 28 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

penal Synonyms

Synonyms

castigating, chastening, chastising, correcting, correctional, corrective, disciplinary, disciplining, punitive, penalizing

Antonyms

nonpunitive

Related Words

retaliative, retaliatory, retributive, retributory, revengeful; vengeful, wrathful

Near Antonyms

compensatory; acquitting, exculpating, exculpatory, exonerating, vindicating; absolving, condoning, pardoning, remitting; commuting, reprieving

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.