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
Relli is suing for more than $25,000 in general damages, additional money to cover his medical bills and punitive damages of an unspecified amount in civil court.
—
Danielle Bacher, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
The family is seeking unspecified punitive damages.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 5 Sep. 2023
She was ordered to pay compensatory and punitive damages to Depp, per CNN.
—Women's Health Editors, Women's Health, 17 Aug. 2023
And the law does not allow for punitive damages, which are designed to punish a company for abuse or fraud by eating into its profits.
—T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 7 Nov. 2023
Any punitive damages and attorney’s fees would also have to be paid, according to a draft version.
—Patrick Coffee, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
Dennis was awarded $7 million in compensatory damages and $325 million in punitive damages.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2023
Makers of Roundup Weed Killer to Pay Up to $10.9 Billion to Settle Lawsuits After Cancer Claims
A spokesperson for Bayer told Reuters that the verdict includes compensatory damages of $7 million and the other $325 million in punitive damages.
—Marisa Sullivan, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023
The producers are asking for $80,000 in real damages in addition to punitive damages.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023
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Danielle Bacher, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
The family is seeking unspecified punitive damages.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 5 Sep. 2023
She was ordered to pay compensatory and punitive damages to Depp, per CNN.
—Women's Health Editors, Women's Health, 17 Aug. 2023
And the law does not allow for punitive damages, which are designed to punish a company for abuse or fraud by eating into its profits.
—T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 7 Nov. 2023
Any punitive damages and attorney’s fees would also have to be paid, according to a draft version.
—Patrick Coffee, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
Dennis was awarded $7 million in compensatory damages and $325 million in punitive damages.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2023
Makers of Roundup Weed Killer to Pay Up to $10.9 Billion to Settle Lawsuits After Cancer Claims
A spokesperson for Bayer told Reuters that the verdict includes compensatory damages of $7 million and the other $325 million in punitive damages.
—Marisa Sullivan, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023
The producers are asking for $80,000 in real damages in addition to punitive damages.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punitive damages.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1858, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Legal Definition
punitive damages
see damage sense 2
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