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

The player who was wrongly penalized would have the foul removed, and the player who attempted to deceive the officials would be punished in real time. —Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026

Traveling with youngsters in Europe isn’t always penalized, of course. —Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

After reviewing practice film from last week, the NFL determined Tampa Bay had too many players ending up on the ground and penalized the club by taking away one of its offseason workouts. —Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026

As a result, many workplaces reward women who are pleasant while penalizing those who are direct. —Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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