punishment

noun

pun·​ish·​ment ˈpə-nish-mənt 

1

: the act of punishing

2

a

: suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution

b

: a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure

3

: severe, rough, or disastrous treatment

Synonyms

• castigation
• chastisement
• comeuppance
• correction
• desert(s)
• discipline
• nemesis
• penalty
• wrath

Examples of punishment in a Sentence

I took away my daughter's car keys as a punishment for her bad behavior.

The punishments that the government has inflicted on the protesters are severe and unjust.

The punishment for murder is life imprisonment.

Some religions teach that wicked people will suffer eternal punishment in hell after they die.

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on China in February before doubling it to 20 percent in March as punishment for fentanyl trafficking. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

Janine lost her eye as punishment at the Red Center, the training facility for Handmaids. —Alexandra Hurtado, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025

The new taxes would be on top of the 20% tariffs announced as punishment for fentanyl trafficking and his separate 34% tariffs announced last week. —Arkansas Online, 8 Apr. 2025

But new Wall Street research details how the landmark regulatory punishment might actually be protecting the bank during the recent stock market downturn. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing punishment

• capital punishment
• corporal punishment
• cruel and unusual punishment
• glutton for punishment
• self-punishment
• sucker for punishment

Kids Definition

punishment

noun

pun·​ish·​ment ˈpən-ish-mənt 

1

a

: the act of punishing

b

: the state or fact of being punished

persons undergoing punishment

2

: the penalty for a fault or crime

the punishment for robbery

3

: severe, rough, or disastrous treatment

Legal Definition

punishment

noun

pun·​ish·​ment

1

: the act of punishing

2

: a penalty (as a fine or imprisonment) inflicted on an offender through the judicial and especially criminal process see also cruel and unusual punishment