punishment

noun pun·ish·ment \ ˈpə-nish-mənt \

1 : the act of punishing

2 a : suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution

b : a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure

3 : severe, rough, or disastrous treatment

See punishment defined for English-language learners

See punishment defined for kids

Examples of punishment in a Sentence

I took away my daughter's car keys as a punishment for her bad behavior.
The punishments that the government has inflicted on the protesters are severe and unjust.
The punishment for murder is life imprisonment.
Some religions teach that wicked people will suffer eternal punishment in hell after they die.

Recent Examples of punishment from the Web

Huggins got a second chance at freedom chiefly because of 2012’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Miller v. Alabama, which found that life-without-parole sentences amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

— david ovalle, miamiherald, "Life sentence reduced for man who murdered Miami restaurant owner in front of kids | Miami Herald," 31 Oct. 2017
Rambo was charged criminally Monday with felony second-degree rape, which carries a maximum punishment of 50 years in prison.

— CBS News, "South Dakota football players suspended, 2 charged in sex assault investigation," 31 Oct. 2017
Another man, James McDermott, was also convicted for the same crimes, but the two received radically different punishments: He was hanged, while Grace was sentenced to life in prison.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "15 Movies and TV Shows Airing This Week You Can't Miss," 29 Oct. 2017
The bill would impose heavy economic and financial punishment on North Korea for developing nuclear-capable missiles and weapons of mass destruction despite world diplomatic efforts to discourage the armaments.

— anne saker, Cincinnati.com, "Otto Warmbier bill to sanction North Korea passes House; Cincy-area Rep. Thomas Massie one of two 'no' votes," 25 Oct. 2017
On Tuesday he was sentenced to five years in prison, the harshest punishment allowable by law.

— chris brennan, Philly.com, "If Krasner wins race for DA, fans and critics expect disruption," 25 Oct. 2017
The District Attorney's office alleges that the shooting was done to advance gang interests — a special circumstance that makes Torrez’s potential punishment either life in prison without parole or death.

— teri figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Preliminary hearing starts in shooting death of woman leaving church," 24 Oct. 2017
In 1934, Joseph Stalin himself called Pasternak to scold him for trying to get a poet friend of his released, and Pasternak's friend and lover Olga Ivinskaya was sent to the gulag for three years as a punishment to the man.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "How Boris Pasternak Won and Lost the Nobel Prize," 23 Oct. 2017
The pardon undoubtedly spared Defendant from any punishment that might otherwise have been imposed.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Judge Rules That Trump Pardon Doesn’t Erase Joe Arpaio’s Conviction," 20 Oct. 2017

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

First Known Use of punishment

15th century

punishment Synonyms

Synonyms

castigation, chastisement, comeuppance, correction, desert(s), discipline, nemesis, penalty, wrath;

Near Antonyms

amnesty, indemnity, pardon, parole;

acquittal, exculpation, exoneration, vindication;

exemption, immunity, impunity;

release;

commutation, reprieve;

absolution, forgiveness, remission, remitment;

condonation, disregard, overlooking;

assessment, charge, fine, mulct;

example, sentence;

confinement, imprisonment, incarceration;

condemnation, damnation, denouncement;

censure, criticism, rebuke, reprimand, reproof;

PUNISHMENT Defined for English Language Learners

punishment

noun

: the act of punishing someone or a way of punishing someone
: the state of being punished
: rough physical treatment

PUNISHMENT Defined for Kids

punishment

noun pun·ish·ment \ ˈpə-nish-mənt \

1 : the act of making a wrongdoer suffer : the state of being made to suffer for wrongdoing

2 : the penalty for a wrong or crime

Word Root of punishment

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

punishment

noun pun·ish·ment

1 : the act of punishing

2 : a penalty (as a fine or imprisonment) inflicted on an offender through the judicial and especially criminal process — see also cruel and unusual punishment