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.
He wants to remove them from leadership roles, along with billions in damages and the unwinding of OpenAI’s conversion, any of which could warp the entire industry.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
MacInnes is seeking aggravated damages for the harm to her reputation.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
She is seeking an unspecified amount in damages and a jury trial.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
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
Chauncey Burr was ordered to pay $10,000 in damages, which he likely could not afford.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
