punishment
noun
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Definition of punishment
1 : the act of punishing
2a : suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution
b : a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure
3 : severe, rough, or disastrous treatment
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Synonyms for punishment
Synonyms
castigation, chastisement, comeuppance, correction, desert(s), discipline, nemesis, penalty, wrath
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Examples of punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another company linked to Cambridge Analytica, Aggregate IQ, also faces punishment for its involvement. — Adam Satariano And Sheera Frenkel, BostonGlobe.com, "Facebook is fined by British agency over Cambridge Analytica data leak," 11 July 2018 Croatian soccer has been long linked with far-right factors, and the country has faced previous punishment for some fans’ recurring habit of making monkey chants at black opposition players during games. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Croatian soccer finds itself involved in another two-faced controversy," 9 July 2018 The slaying that could send him to the death house came weeks after a robbery and another capital murder, cases the jury heard about during the punishment phase of the Harris County trial. — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Harris County death row inmate convicted of killing man over tire rims denied federal appeal," 9 July 2018 Prokes also ordered him to complete 50 hours of community service A patrol review board concluded three months later that Piercy violated patrol policies and that his actions deserved punishment. — Laura Bauer And Max Londberg, kansascity, "Trooper in Lake of the Ozarks drowning death should not have been fired, judge rules," 27 June 2018 To continue reading this story, TRY IT NOW After a short punishment phase where the panel heard from family members on both sides, the jury deliberated about 30 minutes before deciding on a 60-year-prison sentence. — Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio man sentenced in 2015 stabbing death of boyfriend," 25 June 2018 Seven individuals were convicted in court martial proceedings, while 16 faced non-judicial punishments and 28 received administrative actions. — Leah Rodriguez, The Cut, "60 Marines Will Face Punishment for Online Misconduct Following Nude-Photo-Sharing Scandal," 3 May 2018 The perception of drug addiction is still predicated on weakness, sin, and shame—all of which deserve punishment or justify exploitation. — Josie Duffy Rice, The Atlantic, "The Gospel According to Pusha T," 12 July 2018 Until recently, rapists could marry their victims to escape punishment. — The Economist, "Why a mayor in Lebanon has dressed policewomen in hot pants," 12 July 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for punishment
punishment
noun
English Language Learners Definition of punishment
: the act of punishing someone or a way of punishing someone
: the state of being punished
: rough physical treatment
See the full definition for punishment in the English Language Learners Dictionary
punishment
noun
\
Kids Definition of punishment
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
punishment
nounLegal Definition of punishment
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
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