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

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.

In a ruling in October, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt allowed Kennard and Bowling to proceed to trial and pursue punitive damages. —

Gene Maddaus, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024 Earlier this week, the court barred punitive damages, which is typically awarded to deter malicious conduct in the future. —

Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Dec. 2024 Depp was awarded $10 million (of the $50 million claim) in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages (reduced to $350,000 per state limit). —

Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 5 Dec. 2024 In the latest suit, Jones is seeking a jury trial along with punitive damages and compensatory damages to cover medical and funeral expenses. —

Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for punitive damages

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of punitive damages was in 1858

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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