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
Public prosecutors could also bring civil actions, and workers could seek injunctive relief, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees through private lawsuits.
—
Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The settlements come weeks after a Florida jury ordered Tesla to pay $243 million in compensatory and punitive damages to the victims of another fatal 2019 crash of a Model S that was equipped with Autopilot.
—Abhirup Roy, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Schuyler, who sold the Degrassi franchise to documentary co-producer WildBrain in 2014, is asking the court to stop the film from being released in its current form and grant her punitive damages.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Bellis later added $473 million in punitive damages, bringing the total libel judgment to $1,436,620,000—believed to be one of the largest in American history.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
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Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The settlements come weeks after a Florida jury ordered Tesla to pay $243 million in compensatory and punitive damages to the victims of another fatal 2019 crash of a Model S that was equipped with Autopilot.
—Abhirup Roy, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Schuyler, who sold the Degrassi franchise to documentary co-producer WildBrain in 2014, is asking the court to stop the film from being released in its current form and grant her punitive damages.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Bellis later added $473 million in punitive damages, bringing the total libel judgment to $1,436,620,000—believed to be one of the largest in American history.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 2025.
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