punitive
adjective
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Punitive and the Law
Punitive is an important word in the law. When you sue a person or company for having wronged you in some way, you normally ask for something of value equal to what you were deprived of by the other party. But when the defendant has done something particularly bad, you may also ask for punitive damages, money over and above the actual cost of the harm done, intended to teach the defendant a lesson. Punitive damages are fairly rare, but when they're actually granted they may be as much as four times the size of the basic damages.
Examples of punitive in a Sentence
Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
As a result, some districts are taking a punitive approach to chronic absenteeism.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have reignited with tit-for-tat punitive measures.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Some states, including Michigan, impose purely punitive sanctions such as fines or jail time.
—Caitlin Cavanagh, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
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