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
Synonyms
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 on the Web
Theoretically, the punishment could be up to 25 years in prison and up to $750,000 in fines.
—
Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
Biden faces a maximum possible sentence of 17 years in prison but is likely to receive a less severe punishment than that due to federal sentencing guidelines.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024
It was left to the judge to establish a hierarchy of culpability before assigning individual punishment.
—Sasha Issenberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024
In June, Weiss won a conviction at trial against Hunter Biden on federal gun charges that carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, although legal experts say such high punishment is unlikely in his Nov. 13 sentencing for a first-time, nonviolent conviction.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punishment 
Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
Biden faces a maximum possible sentence of 17 years in prison but is likely to receive a less severe punishment than that due to federal sentencing guidelines.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024
It was left to the judge to establish a hierarchy of culpability before assigning individual punishment.
—Sasha Issenberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024
In June, Weiss won a conviction at trial against Hunter Biden on federal gun charges that carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, although legal experts say such high punishment is unlikely in his Nov. 13 sentencing for a first-time, nonviolent conviction.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punishment
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punishment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near punishment
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punishment. Accessed 9 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
punishment
noun
pun·ish·ment
ˈpən-ish-mənt
1
a
: the act of punishing
b
: the state or fact of being punished
persons undergoing punishment
2
: the penalty for a fault or crime
the punishment for robbery
3
: severe, rough, or disastrous treatment
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