corporal punishment

noun

: punishment that involves hitting someone : physical punishment
The school banned corporal punishment many years ago.

Examples of corporal punishment 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.
The latest citation for the center, dated on March 11, notes that a caregiver used corporal punishment against a child. Lina Ruiz may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026 However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that between a quarter and half of children around the world experience corporal punishment in schools, and called for an end to the practice. Jack Guy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026 And as part of their initiation into the ruling class, Plums are made complicit in Gilead’s barbaric justice system, cheering for the corporal punishment of disobedient classmates and the men of low status caught salivating (or worse) over them. Judy Berman, Time, 8 Apr. 2026 United Nations and children’s rights organization reports note that corporal punishment continues in practice. Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for corporal punishment

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Corporal punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporal%20punishment. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

Legal Definition

corporal punishment

noun
cor·​po·​ral punishment
ˈkȯr-pə-rəl-
: punishment inflicted on a person's body see also cruel and unusual punishment

Note: The prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution imposes limits on the use of corporal punishment on convicted offenders and prisoners. The U.S. Supreme Court has found the Eighth Amendment to be inapplicable to the use of corporal punishment on schoolchildren.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster