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
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To collect punitive damages in the case, Young must show that the network acted with actual malice. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2025 Heard was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages in her counterclaim but nothing in punitive damages. Doha Madani, NBC News, 27 Dec. 2024 Therefore, Pratt ruled that the plaintiffs could get only compensatory damages, and not punitive damages. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024 The jury awarded her a total of $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Russell Lewis, NPR, 30 Dec. 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

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 30 Jan. 2025.

Legal Definition

punitive damages

see damage sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on punitive damages

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