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

Other fines and administrative penalties are included to ensure compliance. — Darcy Costello, The Courier-Journal, "Look out, Bird and Lime. 5 more dockless scooters are licensed in Louisville," 20 June 2019 Allen's penalty killing unit was tied for the highest efficiency in the NHL last season (85 percent). — Richard Morin, azcentral, "Arizona Coyotes to hire former Sabres coach Phil Housley as assistant," 20 June 2019 Unborn aren’t shielded by death penalty moratorium The majority of Californians surveyed approve of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on the execution of death row inmates. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Unborn aren’t shielded by death penalty moratorium," 19 June 2019 Both men appeared at Ham’s death penalty determination hearing in Washington opposite two female defense lawyers. — Gabrielle Banks, Houston Chronicle, "Houston judge questions capability of federal prosecutor in San Jacinto County death penalty case," 19 June 2019 The Americans took similar motivation from their loss to Japan in the 2011 World Cup – also on penalties – and rode it to a third consecutive Olympic gold medal in 2012 and, then, their third World Cup title four years ago in Canada. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Three years later, Sweden still talking trash about Rio Olympic win over U.S. women," 19 June 2019 From 2013 through 2018, the city accumulated a $10.3 million backlog of unpaid parking tickets and penalties. — Hannah Sparling, Cincinnati.com, "Unpaid parking tickets in Cincinnati pile up to $10 million," 18 June 2019 The new billing law gives the state the ability to enforce these mandates with administrative penalties and the attorney general’s office the ability to seek injunctions against those who continue to engage in surprise billing. — Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Texas lawmakers crack down on ‘surprise medical bills,’ tighten rules on freestanding ERs," 18 June 2019 The penalties include a criminal misdemeanor charge and a $10,000 fine. — Devin Kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "Goldfish are thriving in a Midtown Anchorage pond. Alaska wildlife biologists want them gone.," 18 June 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

23 Jun 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