punitive damages
plural noun
: damages awarded in excess of compensation to the plaintiff to punish a defendant for a serious wrong
Examples of punitive damages in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The judge, citing federal limits on punitive damages, later reduced it to about $800,000, including $450,000 in damages and back pay from Southwest, $300,000 in damages from the union and about $60,000 in interest.
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Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 June 2024
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of at least $20 million, punitive damages and for Naperville and its police department to implement training and oversight to prevent future civil rights violations.
—Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 22 May 2024
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys fees.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2024
The jury also awarded $4.2 million in punitive damages.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive damages 
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 June 2024
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of at least $20 million, punitive damages and for Naperville and its police department to implement training and oversight to prevent future civil rights violations.
—Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 22 May 2024
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys fees.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2024
The jury also awarded $4.2 million in punitive damages.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive damages
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punitive damages.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
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