ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Penalty

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈpɛn.əl.ti/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Penalty is a noun meaning A legal sentence.

Meaning

A legal sentence.

More Meanings

  1. A punishment for violating rules of procedure.
  2. (finance) A payment forfeited for an early withdrawal from an account or an investment.
  3. In sports:
  4. A disadvantageous consequence of a previous event.

Example Sentences

The penalty for his crime was to do hard labor.
"But you, my noble, my generous girl!" exclaimed Lord Avonleigh, "I dare not let you pay the penalty of my former folly."
Was it so irreconcilable, Warwick wondered, as still to peal out the curfew bell, which at nine o'clock at night had clamorously warned all negroes, slave or free, that it was unlawful for them to be abroad after that hour, under penalty of imprisonment or whipping?

Word Forms

Synonyms for penalty

Depending on context, synonyms include censure, correction, discipline, punishment, punition, sanction.

Antonyms for penalty

Common opposites include compensation, reward.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include penalization, punishment, penalisation, punishability, punishable, penal.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.