punitive damages

plural noun

Synonyms of punitive damagesnext
: 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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But even avoiding an ugly trial and now dealing with legal and punitive damages, the actress and actor-director now face a trial of a different sort. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2026 Cleveland Horton, executive director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, spearheaded the bill that would have created a private right of action and given his office the authority to seek punitive damages on behalf of complainants. Delano Squires, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026 Hernandez’s attorneys plan to ask a jury for compensatory and punitive damages. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026 The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages, disgorgement of profits attributable to the use of Kilcher’s likeness, injunctive relief, and corrective public disclosure. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

Legal Definition

punitive damages

see also:

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