Punitive
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈpju.nɪ.tɪv/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Punitive is an adjective meaning (law, military) Inflicting punishment; punishing.
Meaning
(law, military) Inflicting punishment; punishing.
Example Sentences
Beijing imposed punitive sanctions on Canada.
The jury awarded $10,000 in punitive damages.
The council took punitive measures against poachers.
But Judge Alex W. Gabert, in a Rio Grande City courtroom, ordered the punitive damage reduced to conform to a 2003 Texas law that caps punitive damages at twice the amount of economic damages — lost pay — and up to $750,000 on top of noneconomic damages.
Synonyms for punitive
Depending on context, synonyms include castigatory, punishmental, punitory, vindicatory, vindictive, penitentiary.
Antonyms for punitive
Common opposites include rehabilitative.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include punitory, penal, correctional, penitentiary, punish, punishable.
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.