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
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
Reserve duty is technically mandatory, though penalties for evasion often depend on the willingness of the direct commander to enforce punishment.
—
Emily Rose, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Trump ordered his administration to remove millions of migrants without legal status and enforce stricter punishments on visa overstays.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Look for positive signs in the syllabus: assignments that explicitly involve working with AI rather than hiding from it, or a requirement that students document AI usage as preparation for future work, not punishment.
—Ann Kirschner, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
But public sentiment could change with the news that the NFL wanted to issue an unprecedented punishment against Rice.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Emily Rose, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Trump ordered his administration to remove millions of migrants without legal status and enforce stricter punishments on visa overstays.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Look for positive signs in the syllabus: assignments that explicitly involve working with AI rather than hiding from it, or a requirement that students document AI usage as preparation for future work, not punishment.
—Ann Kirschner, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
But public sentiment could change with the news that the NFL wanted to issue an unprecedented punishment against Rice.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punishment. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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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