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
Plaintiffs sought a whopping $6 billion in punitive damages.
—
Julie Coleman, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
In addition, legal fees—and in some cases punitive damages—are also being sought.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
The estate is hoping to have Gossett stand trial for the death of Edwards and the city to award the estate with compensatory damages and punitive damages for Edwards' death.
—Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Oct. 2024
The Dodgers were required to pay for medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages, but did not have to pay punitive damages.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive damages 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Julie Coleman, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
In addition, legal fees—and in some cases punitive damages—are also being sought.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
The estate is hoping to have Gossett stand trial for the death of Edwards and the city to award the estate with compensatory damages and punitive damages for Edwards' death.
—Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Oct. 2024
The Dodgers were required to pay for medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages, but did not have to pay punitive damages.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive damages
Articles Related to punitive damages
Dictionary Entries Near punitive damages
Cite this Entry
“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share