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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Jurors awarded $35 million — including $20 million in punitive damages — to a woman raped by a nurse on three consecutive nights while unable to move or speak in Dignity Health Methodist Hospital’s ICU in 2016. —

Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026 The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and asks for the case to be decided by a jury. —

Terell Bailey, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026 The jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay a total of $3 million in compensatory damages plus additional punitive damages to a woman, now 20 years old, who said their platforms were engineered to addict her and caused her body dysmorphia, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. —

Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026 The lawsuit also seeks $7 million in punitive damages. —

Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 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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Browse Nearby Words

punitive

punitive damages

punitory

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

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