penal

adjective

pe·​nal ˈpē-nᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or involving punishment, penalties, or punitive institutions

2

: liable to punishment

a penal offense

3

: used as a place of confinement and punishment

a penal colony

penally

ˈpē-nᵊl-ē 

adverb

Did you know?

A state or country's penal code defines its crimes and describes its punishments. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many countries established penal colonies, where criminals were sent as punishment. Often these were unbearably severe; but it was to such colonies that some of Australia's and the United States' early white inhabitants came, and the convicts provided labor for the European settlement of these lands.

Synonyms

• punitive
• correctional

Examples of penal in a Sentence

Australia was once a penal colony.

Recent Examples on the Web

To bring in more workers, the colony’s leaders then requested a conversion to penal status, like others that had been established on the continent since the 1780s. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025

The assignment to a penal detachment is arguably a death sentence, however, as Russia's military has routinely used ex-convict forces to conduct near-suicidal missions in the war against Ukraine, leading to high casualty rates. —Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Missing fairway’s off the tee is more penal at Bay Hill. —Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

Iran’s Islamic Republic government likely will block it because, aside from Panahi’s outspoken stance against its stranglehold on democracy that has landed him in prison twice, the film is highly critical of Iran’s penal system on the back of the director’s own firsthand experiences. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin poenalis, from poena punishment — more at pain entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing penal

• penal code
• penal colony
• penal institution

Rhymes for penal

• genal
• phenyl
• renal
• venal
• adrenal
• alkenyl
• cerebrospinal
• corticospinal
• duodenal
• intrarenal
• intraspinal
• suprarenal

Kids Definition

penal

adjective

pe·​nal ˈpēn-ᵊl 

: of or relating to punishment

penal laws

a penal colony

Legal Definition

penal

adjective

pe·​nal ˈpēn-ᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or being punishment

penal sanctions

2

: making one (as an offender) punishable

a penal offense

also : criminal sense 2

3

: used as a place of confinement and punishment

a penal institution