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
On the state civil conspiracy claim, the jury awarded Hatfield $638,000 in actual damages and $2 million punitive damages.
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Arkansas Online, 29 July 2025
The example above involves punitive damages, but the issues are equally important with interest.
—Robert W. Wood, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
After only a few hours of deliberation, the jury ruled in Hogan’s favor, awarding him $115 million in compensatory damages and an additional $25 million in punitive damages, for a total of $140 million.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
The 22-count complaint seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.
—Jonathan Stempel, USA Today, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive damages
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Arkansas Online, 29 July 2025
The example above involves punitive damages, but the issues are equally important with interest.
—Robert W. Wood, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
After only a few hours of deliberation, the jury ruled in Hogan’s favor, awarding him $115 million in compensatory damages and an additional $25 million in punitive damages, for a total of $140 million.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
The 22-count complaint seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.
—Jonathan Stempel, USA Today, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive damages
Cite this Entry
“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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