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
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
The police department ordinarily aims to defer disciplinary issues at schools to staff for resolution rather than taking punitive action, Pieritz said.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Unlike those in the criminal justice system, most detainees do not have lawyers and their detention on immigration violations is not meant to be punitive.
—CBS News, 27 May 2026
The suit accuses the former clerk of violating Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial and seeks punitive and compensatory damages, as well as $600,000 of attorneys’ fees.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
