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
There’s no punishment for Betty Jo, but also no hope.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Mundane loot like monster teeth and eyeballs all have different effects when paired with a basic attack, making for a mind-boggling number of combinations for how to dole out punishment.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Teller took to heart the classic Greek playwright Aristophanes’ myth of love — that humans were born as a fusion of two bodies and later separated as punishment from the gods, only to spend their lives looking — and longing — for their other half.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punishment
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Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Mundane loot like monster teeth and eyeballs all have different effects when paired with a basic attack, making for a mind-boggling number of combinations for how to dole out punishment.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Teller took to heart the classic Greek playwright Aristophanes’ myth of love — that humans were born as a fusion of two bodies and later separated as punishment from the gods, only to spend their lives looking — and longing — for their other half.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 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 7 Nov. 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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