punitive damages

plural noun

: damages awarded in excess of compensation to the plaintiff to punish a defendant for a serious wrong

Examples of punitive damages in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Flores is not seeking punitive damages against Oates or asking the jury to determine liability. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026

The school is seeking at least $1 million in punitive damages and $300,000 from Freddie Whittingham for breach of contract. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for the lawsuit, statutory and punitive damages and for Suno to be prevented from capturing and monetizing artists’ identities. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026

Hackett's suit, filed by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, seeks compensatory and punitive damages and names Arellano in his individual capacity as the sole defendant. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

punitive damages

see also:

damage sense 2