penalize

1 of 2

verb

pe·​nal·​ize ˈpē-nə-ˌlīz  ˈpe- 

penalized; penalizing

transitive verb

1

: to inflict a penalty on

2

: to put at a serious disadvantage

penalization

ˈpē-nə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

penalization

2 of 2

noun

pe·​nal·​iza·​tion

variants also British penalisation

ˌpēnᵊlə̇ˈzāshən, 

ˌpen-, 

-ᵊlˌīˈ-

plural -s

1

: the act of penalizing

2

: the state of being penalized

Synonyms of penalize

Verb

• punish

Examples of penalize in a Sentence

Verb

The company was penalized for not paying taxes.

The hockey player was penalized for holding.

This law would unfairly penalize immigrants.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The fight was stopped between rounds, but fighters shouldn't be shamed or penalized for knowing when to bow out. —Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

Chiarella takes time between bouts of danger to show affection and intimacy that, in defiance of teen-slasher formula, isn’t immediately penalized with sadism. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

Instead, StubHub automatically sided with the confused buyer and penalized you. —Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 19 June 2026

Some buzz in and wager a guess, while others avoid getting penalized for a wrong response. —Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for penalize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

penalize

verb

pe·​nal·​ize ˈpēn-ᵊl-ˌīz  ˈpen- 

penalized; penalizing

1

: to give a penalty to

2

: to place at a disadvantage