punitive
adjective
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Punitive and the Law
Punitive is an important word in the law. When you sue a person or company for having wronged you in some way, you normally ask for something of value equal to what you were deprived of by the other party. But when the defendant has done something particularly bad, you may also ask for punitive damages, money over and above the actual cost of the harm done, intended to teach the defendant a lesson. Punitive damages are fairly rare, but when they're actually granted they may be as much as four times the size of the basic damages.
Examples of punitive in a Sentence
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Adding to that fear, consumers have recently read about the $240M punitive judgement against Tesla after Autopilot contributed to the deaths of an urban couple.
—Steve Tengler, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Advocates of a lighter touch argue that an overly punitive system can hinder rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The bill, which mandates reporting, is a more modest step than the more punitive safety measure Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed last year.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
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