PENAL Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

penal

adjective

ˈpē-nᵊl

Definition of penal

as in punitive

inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment Australia was once a penal colony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of penal The charges included seven counts of falsifying a record and one felony count of abuse of a resident of a penal facility. — Nichole Manna, ProPublica, 28 Apr. 2026 In the new South, one scrabbling to industrialize, business owners could now hire unpaid labor through the penal system. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 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 See All Example Sentences for penal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for penal

Adjective

However, recent scholarship posits that the structure was used as ordinary (rather than punitive) housing, and that the vulgar decor was in fact a distinguishing characteristic of the epoch.

— Jim Greer, SPIN, 3 Sep. 2026
The Department of Defense attempted to blacklist Anthropic in February after the company refused to remove restrictions on its AI models being used for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance, a move widely seen as punitive.

— Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of punitive

Adjective

At noon that same day, her cellmates notified the correctional officer who failed to review Babb’s documents a few hours earlier.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Speaking of Prison Break characters that fans love to hate, Wade Williams was Brad Bellick, a corrupt captain of the correctional officers at Fox River Penitentiary.

— Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of correctional

Browse Nearby Words

pen

penal

penalize

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Penal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penal. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of penal

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loath

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes