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
Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2025
The move follows last month’s imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods, which the White House justified as a punitive measure for India’s importation of Russian oil.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
The libertarian-leaning senator said the government should stay out of the issue altogether but stipulated that ABC, as Kimmel’s employer, has the right to take punitive action against him if, hypothetically, Kimmel’s conduct violated his contract.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 21 Sep. 2025
Iran issued a warning to world powers as the United Nations Security Council prepared to vote Friday on whether to permanently lift sanctions, pushing back against threats to snap back punitive measures over its nuclear program.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 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 26 Sep. 2025.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
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