penalty

noun pen·al·ty \ ˈpe-nᵊl-tē \

|Updated on: 21 Jul 2018

Definition of penalty

plural penalties

1 : the suffering in person, rights, or property that is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime or public offense

trespassing forbidden under penalty of imprisonment

2 : the suffering or the sum to be forfeited to which a person agrees to be subjected in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations

A penalty was imposed on the contractor for breach of contract.

3 a : disadvantage, loss, or hardship due to some action

Loss of privacy is one of the penalties you pay for fame.

b : a disadvantage (such as loss of yardage, time, or possession of the ball or an addition to or subtraction from the score) imposed on a team or competitor for violation of the rules of a sport

The team was given a penalty for the foul.

4 : points scored in bridge by the side that defeats the opposing contract —usually used in plural

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penalty

adjective

See penalty defined for English-language learners

See penalty defined for kids

Examples of penalty in a Sentence

The company was given a severe penalty for the violation.
They allowed him to pay back the money without a penalty.
They allowed him to pay back the money without penalty.
Lack of privacy is one of the penalties you pay for fame.
The hockey player was given a penalty for holding.

Recent Examples of penalty from the Web

In 2015, Anthony Kennedy filed a concurring opinion in Davis v. Ayala, a death-penalty case in which the Court (joined by Kennedy) sided against the defendant.

— dylan matthews, Vox, "America under Brett Kavanaugh," 11 July 2018
After breezing through group play, Croatia needed 120 minutes, then penalty kicks to beat both Denmark and Russia, making it just the second team to advance in a World Cup knockout stage on consecutive penalty-kick shootouts.

— kevin baxter, latimes.com, "How England and Croatia match up in the World Cup semifinal," 10 July 2018
The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375, and drivers can face $10,000 fines and prison sentences of up to 14 years for hitting a roadway worker.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Road and ramp repairs on I-88 between Naperville and Oak Brook start this week," 10 July 2018
The arson crime carried a minimum prison sentence of five years, but a sympathetic federal judge, on his last day before retirement, decided the penalty was too stiff and gave the father and son much lighter prison terms.

— CBS News, "Trump pardons Hammond ranchers in case that inspired 2016 Oregon militia occupation," 10 July 2018
Barrett also co-wrote a 1998 law review article suggesting that Catholic judges would have to disqualify themselves from death penalty cases because of the church’s opposition to capital punishment.

— bob egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Trump has ‘outsourced’ his Supreme Court picks to this conservative group," 8 July 2018
Despite the goal, Croatia won 4–3 on a penalty-kick shootout following the 2-2 draw, with Fernandes's miss opening the door for Croatia to seize control.

— charlotte carroll, SI.com, "Watch: Mario Fernandes' Extra-Time Header Sends Russia to PKs vs. Croatia," 7 July 2018
Flores’ case would have been the first death penalty case in Bexar County since 2015, when a jury sent Mark Anthony Gonzalez to death row for killing Sgt.

— elizabeth zavala, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio death penalty case ends in mistrial over attorney’s health," 5 July 2018
Buy Photo All immigration lawyers know the axiom: Handling deportation cases in immigration court is akin to trying death penalty cases in traffic court.

— jonathan lai, Philly.com, "Most immigrants facing deportation don't have lawyers. N.J. is changing that," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'penalty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of penalty

Middle English penalte, from Middle French penalité, from Medieval Latin poenalitas, from Latin poenalis

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

penalty Synonyms

PENALTY Defined for English Language Learners

penalty

noun

Definition of penalty for English Language Learners

: punishment for breaking a rule or law
: a disadvantage or difficulty you experience
: a punishment or disadvantage given to a team or player for breaking a rule in a game

PENALTY Defined for Kids

penalty

noun pen·al·ty \ ˈpe-nᵊl-tē \

Definition of penalty for Students

plural penalties

1 : punishment for doing something wrong

2 : a disadvantage given for breaking a rule in a sport or game

Word Root of penalty

The Latin word poena, meaning “punishment,” gives us the root pen or pun. Words from the Latin poena have something to do with punishments. A penalty is a punishment for doing something wrong. Anything penal, such as a group of laws, explains punishments for specific crimes. Punish and punishment also come from poena.

Law Dictionary

penalty

noun pen·al·ty \ ˈpen-ᵊl-tē \

legal Definition of penalty

plural penalties

1 : a punishment that is imposed on a wrongdoer by statute or judicial decision

2 : a pecuniary sum that by agreement is to be paid by a party who fails to fulfill an obligation to another and that is punitive rather than compensatory