penal

adjective

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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

Other Words from penal Synonyms & Antonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Phrases Containing penal Learn More About penal

Examples of penal in a Sentence

Australia was once a penal colony.

Recent Examples on the Web Prosecutors had asked the court to send him to a maximum-security penal colony for 13 years on charges of fraud and contempt of court. — NBC News, 22 Mar. 2022 The hearing took place in a penal colony in Pokrov, about 70 miles from Moscow, where Navalny is already serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for violating his parole. — Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2022 Last week, Albats went to the penal colony east of Moscow where Navalny is locked up on dubious charges of parole violations. — David Remnick, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2022 Putin will need to at least nominally stand for reelection in 2024, when his main Russian rival, who survived poisoning and has been barred from running for office, may still be detained at a penal colony. — Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 7 Mar. 2022 The company mines in one of the world’s most northern cities, Norilsk—a former penal colony. — Alistair Macdonald, WSJ, 6 Mar. 2022 Members of Navalny's defense team complained they were not allowed to bring cellphones or laptops containing case files into the makeshift courtroom at the IK-2 penal colony. — Dasha Litvinova, ajc, 15 Feb. 2022 While Michael Taylor may be one of Japan’s highest-profile convicts, his experience in its penal system is not unique. — David Yaffe-bellany And Ben Dooley, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Feb. 2022 The fight has been front and center for residents for the past several months, but the issue has also drawn attention across the state amid divisive debates about the future of the state’s penal system. — New York Times, 10 Jan. 2022 See More

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.