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
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025
The crane tariffs aren’t the only punitive USTR measures on China causing a stir.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 July 2025
And without human judgement to balance it, AI oversight can feel cold and rigid, or even punitive.
—Andrew Fennell, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
American Civil Liberties Union attorney Rebecca Sheff says the federal government is testing a more punitive approach to border enforcement with the new military zones and worries it will be expanded across the entire border.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 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 22 Jul. 2025.
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punitive
adjective
Legal Definition
punitive
adjective
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