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
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
New Delhi downgraded ties with Islamabad, summoned its top diplomat, suspended for the first time its involvement in a crucial water-sharing treaty and shut a key border crossing, among other punitive measures in the wake of what was the region’s worst assault on civilians in years.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025
For The 1st Time — At Lower Prices Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose a series of punitive measures on trading partners, only to pause or reverse some of them at the last minute.
—Robert Olsen, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Related Articles California sues Trump administration over tariffs In response to punitive tariffs imposed by Washington, Beijing earlier this month added seven rare earths to its export control list.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 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 29 Apr. 2025.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
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