penalize

verb

pe·​nal·​ize ˈpē-nə-ˌlīz How to pronounce penalize (audio) ˈpe- How to pronounce penalize (audio)
penalized; penalizing

transitive verb

1
: to inflict a penalty on
2
: to put at a serious disadvantage
penalization noun

Examples of penalize in a Sentence

The company was penalized for not paying taxes. The hockey player was penalized for holding. This law would unfairly penalize immigrants.
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.
Louisiana, which does not share a border with a foreign country, is one of several states attempting to penalize local officials who don’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Sara Cline, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025 Software tools will continue to advance in this area, leveraging AI and machine learning to credit and penalize their models on a continuous basis to increase accuracy. Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC news, 11 June 2025 The Trump administration has put an emphasis on American jobs linked to the industry, penalizing manufacturers that build their products from parts sourced globally by instating tariffs. Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025 The servicer was penalized by the Biden administration for allegedly providing untimely or incorrect billing statements when student loan repayment resumed after the pandemic-era pause. Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for penalize

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of penalize was in 1888

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penalize. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

penalize

verb
pe·​nal·​ize ˈpēn-ᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce penalize (audio) ˈpen- How to pronounce penalize (audio)
penalized; penalizing
1
: to give a penalty to
2
: to place at a disadvantage

More from Merriam-Webster on penalize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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