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

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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

The absolute yield level isn’t broadly punitive yet to big companies.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
Jurors awarded $6 million in damages ($3 million compensatory and $3 million punitive) to a 20-year-old woman whose compulsive childhood use of Instagram and YouTube exacerbated her severe depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia.

— Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of punitive

Adjective

State police are investigating an incident in a classroom at a youth correctional center where a juvenile was allegedly involved in an altercation with a teacher.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Aug. 2026
By Bay City News An inmate serving a life sentence was convicted of assaulting a correctional officer in 2023 with a homemade dagger at Salinas Valley State Prison, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said.

— Bay City News, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of correctional

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pen

penal

penalize

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“Penal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penal. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of penal

adjective

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