penalize

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

Synonyms of penalize

• punish

Examples of penalize in a Sentence

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

He should be penalized for that. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026

Bad behavior by online personalities and tourists alike has been penalized around the world. —CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

Beneath those explicit instructions, personality is also shaped by reinforcement learning from human feedback, a process in which human raters reward certain qualities such as warmth, directness and caution, and penalize unwanted behaviors. —Tamilla Triantoro, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026

In addition to penalizing mixed-status families, advocates say the rule has other problems. —Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for penalize

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

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