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
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
Most voters are in favor of harsher punishments for repeat offenders.
—
Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
Prop 6, if passed, would amend the California Constitution to remove the provision that allows involuntary servitude in jails and prisons as a punishment for crime.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024
In July, the German government announced that ATM robberies would receive harsher punishment.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024
Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief asking the court to keep the brothers’ original punishment.
—Jaimie Ding, Chicago Tribune, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punishment 
Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
Prop 6, if passed, would amend the California Constitution to remove the provision that allows involuntary servitude in jails and prisons as a punishment for crime.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024
In July, the German government announced that ATM robberies would receive harsher punishment.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024
Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief asking the court to keep the brothers’ original punishment.
—Jaimie Ding, Chicago Tribune, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punishment
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punishment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near punishment
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punishment. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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