penology

noun

pe·​nol·​o·​gy pi-ˈnä-lə-jē How to pronounce penology (audio)
: a branch of criminology dealing with prison management and the treatment of offenders
penological
ˌpē-nə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce penology (audio)
adjective
penologist
pi-ˈnä-lə-jist How to pronounce penology (audio)
noun

Examples of penology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This is one of the most successful outcomes known to contemporary penology. —Barry Latzer, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Greek poinē penalty + English -logy — more at pain entry 1

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penology was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near penology

penocorrectional

penology

penon

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Penology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penology. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

penology

noun
pe·​nol·​o·​gy pi-ˈnäl-ə-jē How to pronounce penology (audio)
plural penologies
: a branch of criminology dealing with prison management and the treatment of offenders
penological
ˌpē-nə-ˈläj-i-kəl How to pronounce penology (audio)
adjective

Legal Definition

penology

noun
pe·​nol·​o·​gy pi-ˈnä-lə-jē How to pronounce penology (audio)
: a branch of criminology dealing with prison management and the treatment of offenders
penological
ˌpē-nə-ˈläj-ə-kəl How to pronounce penology (audio)
adjective
penologist
pi-ˈnä-lə-jist How to pronounce penology (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on penology

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about penology

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...