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
Because the experienced product liability attorneys at Burg Simpson fought for her in court, Perez received $3.5 million for pain and suffering, $2 million for her disfigurement, $15 million in punitive damages against Sunbeam, and $35 million against Newell.
—
Sponsored Content, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025
Frankie’s lawsuit against Bob alleges breach of fiduciary duty, among other counts, and seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
Amin had sued for $10 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 21 Feb. 2025
If you are injured in a car crash and collect $50,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, the former is tax-free.
—Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive damages
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.
Sponsored Content, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025
Frankie’s lawsuit against Bob alleges breach of fiduciary duty, among other counts, and seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
Amin had sued for $10 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 21 Feb. 2025
If you are injured in a car crash and collect $50,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, the former is tax-free.
—Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive damages
Articles Related to punitive damages
Cite this Entry
“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share