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.
Live Nation responded to the ruling in a statement that said, “The jury’s verdict is not the last word on this matter. Pending motions will determine whether the liability and damages rulings stand.”
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
The state is seeking millions of dollars in damages, the highest penalty sought this century following a wildfire disaster, the California department of insurance said Monday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
Lopez’s family sued the city, winning $8 million in damages.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream can lead to hypercholesterolemia, a condition that damages arteries and raises the risk of heart disease.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
This alarmed the Nazi leaders, who worried that the damages would bankrupt the German insurance companies.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
