damages
Britishplural noun
Explanation
Damages are the official amount of money awarded to the winner in a law suit. If you're hurt in a car accident that's another driver's fault, you may end up collecting damages. The legal term damages usually refers to money that's owed or received to compensate someone for a loss or an injury. If a business owner's negligence — not clearing ice from a sidewalk, for example — causes you to be injured, you can sue her for damages to pay for your broken arm and the days of work you had to miss. Sometimes a court awards "punitive damages" as well, which are specifically intended to punish the defendant.
Vocabulary lists containing damages
The Skin I'm In
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Hitler Youth
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City of the Plague God
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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.
Today, excess abdominal fat is a major risk factor because it can trigger chronic inflammation that damages arteries, cardiac tissue and kidneys, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Jurors are now weighing whether to award additional punitive damages against Grossman and Erickson.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
The action has already prompted a lawsuit against Hill County and its three commissioners by a data center developer seeking $100 million in damages.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
The crisis cost California tens of billions of dollars in economic damages, and voters kicked Gov. Gray Davis out of office in a chaotic recall election.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
There is no doubt that Ebola damages the brain and causes psychotic dementia.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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.
