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
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The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Florida, seeks $100 million in punitive damages and names Justice Department officials and FBI employees as defendants. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025 Watkins is suing over his wrongful imprisonment, citing violations of his constitutional rights and seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Miami Herald, 6 June 2025 On Thursday afternoon, jury members were tasked with considering punitive damages against Spitzer. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025 The jury awarded Miller $3 million in economic damages and will now turn to determining if any punitive damages will be assessed against Spitzer. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for punitive damages

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punitive damages was in 1858

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Cite this Entry

“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

punitive damages

see damage sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on punitive damages

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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