penalty

noun

pen·al·ty | \ ˈpe-nᵊl-tē

plural penalties

Definition of penalty

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.

3a : 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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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 on the Web

Sadio Mane scored again in extra time but a Jorginho penalty cancelled that out. — SI.com, "Jurgen Klopp Reveals What Frank Lampard Said to Him Before Extra Time in Super Cup Final," 15 Aug. 2019 The statute establishes a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation. — Jack Greiner, Cincinnati.com, "Strictly Legal: Is a tofu burger a burger? Arkansas says no.," 15 Aug. 2019 The defender was one of two Pride players to earn a red card, leaving the game for a last defender penalty in the 61st minute. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando Pride defender Julie King grateful for second chance in NWSL," 14 Aug. 2019 Justin Skule and Willie Beavers were second-team tackles, and Skule got called for a false-start penalty in the red zone. — Cam Inman, The Mercury News, "49ers camp: Beathard thumb injury again could clear up QB race," 13 Aug. 2019 With New York threatening to equalize in the second half, Alex Davey committed a foul in the box and the referee decided to show him a straight red card as well as award a penalty. — Jonah Dylan, courant.com, "Hartford Athletic marred by two red cards on one play in ugly 5-1 loss to New York Red Bulls II," 10 Aug. 2019 At least Holmes and Mata’afa both had sacks of former Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, although Mata’afa also had a roughing-the-passer penalty against Bridgewater. — Chris Tomasson, Twin Cities, "Vikings’ Olabisi Johnson scores TD, has a cheering section in preseason debut," 10 Aug. 2019 He was called for a holding penalty and also lost a fumble that wide receiver Marvin Hall recovered. — Brad Biggs, chicagotribune.com, "Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Bears’ 23-13 loss in the preseason opener to the Panthers," 8 Aug. 2019 Failure to register and violating the cooling off restriction are both considered Level 6 felonies and carry a penalty of six months to two-and-a-half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. — Tony Cook, Indianapolis Star, "Former lawmaker catches heat for secretive deal with Indiana veterans agency," 7 Aug. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

18 Aug 2019

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Time Traveler for penalty

The first known use of penalty was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for penalty

penalty

noun

English Language Learners Definition of penalty

: 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

See the full definition for penalty in the English Language Learners Dictionary

penalty

noun

pen·al·ty | \ ˈpe-nᵊl-tē

plural penalties

Kids Definition of penalty

1 : punishment for doing something wrong

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

penalty

noun

pen·al·ty | \ ˈpen-ᵊl-tē

plural penalties

Legal Definition of penalty

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 the court declined to enforce the contractual penalty and determined actual damages instead