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
Chris Westfall, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
What happens if foreign countries respond with either tariffs or some other punitive measure?
—Aroop Mukharji, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2025
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a final message to Canadian citizens, a bit of a pep talk amid Donald Trump‘s threats of ever-more punitive tariffs and talk of the country becoming the U.S.’s 51st state.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Christ also will be on probation until March 9, 2026, after the state Board of Medicine final order posted Monday detailing the punitive actions against him.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 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 30 Mar. 2025.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
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