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
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Still, if punitive policies towards Chinese international students persist, students may turn to alternative destinations, experts say.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 May 2025
The introduction of the punitive second apron effectively forced teams into making tough choices, as the Minnesota Timberwolves encountered with their trade of Karl-Anthony Towns right before training camp this past season and the Boston Celtics are poised to learn this coming offseason.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
The transition from the AFDC to TANF required low-income families to meet work requirements, new administrative burdens and punitive sanctions.
—Colin Gordon, The Conversation, 29 May 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 4 Jun. 2025.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
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