as in punitive
inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment
Australia was once a penal colony
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penal
The Mexican Mafia was started in the 1950s at a juvenile jail and grew to an international criminal organization that controls smuggling, drug sales and extortion from inside California’s penal system.
—
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
By then, his tour of the federal penal system had taken him to the medium security penitentiary in Coleman, Florida.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2026
Within the Moreton Bay area, a penal settlement for colonial recidivists was founded at Brisbane, followed by other penal establishments at Ipswich and on Stradbroke Island.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
The charges were altered at the plea hearing; Russell had been originally charged with one felony count of abuse of residents of penal facilities and one felony count of misconduct in public office.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penal
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
By then, his tour of the federal penal system had taken him to the medium security penitentiary in Coleman, Florida.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2026
Within the Moreton Bay area, a penal settlement for colonial recidivists was founded at Brisbane, followed by other penal establishments at Ipswich and on Stradbroke Island.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
The charges were altered at the plea hearing; Russell had been originally charged with one felony count of abuse of residents of penal facilities and one felony count of misconduct in public office.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penal
Adjective
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Sanctions relief for Iran would follow a timetable that Washington and Tehran would need to agree upon and extend to the removal of punitive measures imposed on the country by the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
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European leaders also live in fear of additional punitive tariffs.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Most recently, in April, a funding shortfall strained the supply of medicine, according to the two correctional health staff members who requested anonymity.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Rapid point-of-care syphilis tests should be deployed in emergency departments, urgent care centers, shelters, correctional settings, and mobile clinics.—
Jeffrey D. Klausner,
STAT,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penal. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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