punitive damages
Americanplural noun
Etymology
Origin of punitive damages
First recorded in 1970–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jurors are now weighing whether to award additional punitive damages against Grossman and Erickson.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
He has demanded both compensatory damages to redress his own harms as well as punitive damages “to deter future unconstitutional conduct.”
From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026
It awarded $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages to a 20-year-old woman, known as K.G.M., who began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at 9.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
In arguing his case for punitive damages, Kaley's attorney Mark Lanier - a folksy Texas litigator - had shown the jury a jar of M&Ms.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
A court subsequently awarded them nearly a million dollars in compensatory and punitive damages.
From Wild Justice by Sprague, Ruth M.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
