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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.
Synonyms
Examples of penal in a Sentence
Kate Brady, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
Ecuador has named its sixth prisons chief in less than two years after a month of intense violence in the country’s penal system.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 10 Aug. 2023
The special regime prison colony, the harshest in Russia’s penal system, keeps prisoners in cells with the lights constantly on, barred from speaking.
—Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2023
In November, a coalition of California nonprofit organizations launched The Thriving Transitions campaign, which seeks to raise awareness about the effects of food insecurity on women exiting the penal system.
—Selene Rivera, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor under New York penal law.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023
That appeared to be enough for jurors to conclude that the scheme met New York penal law requirements for finding corporations guilty of a crime.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2023
That is a relatively new statute in our penal law that was enacted within the past ten years.
—Greg Norman, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2022
In addition to those the Italian fascists built in Libya, Vichy France and Nazi Germany ran penal camps, detention camps and labor camps.
—Aomar Boum, The Conversation, 15 Nov. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin poenalis, from poena punishment — more at pain entry 1
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing penal
Dictionary Entries Near penal
Cite this Entry
“Penal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penal. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
penal
adjective
Legal Definition
penal
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on penal
Nglish: Translation of penal for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of penal for Arabic Speakers
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