penalize

American  

[peen-l-ahyz, pen-] / ˈpin lˌaɪz, ˈpɛn- /

especially British, penalise

verb (used with object)

• penalizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• penalized,
  past participle,  past
• penalizing
  present participle

1. to subject to a penalty, as a person.

2. to declare (an action, deed, etc.) punishable by law or rule.

3. to put under a disadvantage or handicap.

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penalize British  

/ ˈpiːnəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to impose a penalty on (someone), as for breaking a law or rule

2. to inflict a handicap or disadvantage on

3. sport to award a free stroke, point, or penalty against (a player or team)

4. to declare (an act) legally punishable; make subject to a penalty

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overpenalization
  noun
• penalization
  noun
• overpenalize
  verb (used with object)
• repenalize
  verb (used with object)
• nonpenalized
  adjective
• penalizable
  adjective
• unpenalized
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• penalizing
  present
• penalized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• penalize
  simple
• penalizes
  simple
• have penalized
  perfect
• has penalized
  perfect
• am penalizing
  progressive
• are penalizing
  progressive
• is penalizing
  progressive
• have been penalizing
  perfect progressive
• has been penalizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• penalized
  simple
• had penalized
  perfect
• was penalizing
  progressive
• were penalizing
  progressive
• had been penalizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will penalize
  simple
• will have penalized
  perfect
• will be penalizing
  progressive
• will have been penalizing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of penalize

First recorded in 1865–70; penal + -ize

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Explanation

When you penalize someone, you punish them. A traffic cop will usually penalize a speeder with an expensive ticket. A court might penalize a criminal with fines or time in prison, while a frustrated teacher is more likely to penalize the class clown with detention. Sports referees frequently penalize players by allowing the opposing team an advantage of some sort, like a penalty kick in soccer or a free throw in basketball. Penalize is rooted in penal, or "pertaining to punishment." The Greek root is poine, "penalty, punishment, or blood money."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

penalize penalizes penalized penalizing

These often measure text similarity or overlap, but they don’t heavily penalize the tiny errors that should fail in a health setting.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

So when two drivers traded punches after a recent race, Nascar didn’t penalize either.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

As another, he said the new rules could penalize immigrant families for accessing basic, preventative healthcare that actually helps control the broader public cost of illness to localities and states.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

Lenders legally cannot penalize you for paying off your loan early, however.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

“I own the original patent for making patent leather, ” Fletcher said in a patent lie. penalize.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Lockwood hears from parents who wonder if saving for college penalizes them when it comes to financial aid.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026

AI rewards those with judgment, domain knowledge and machine output; it penalizes those in rigidly designed jobs, such as narrowly scripted clerical or call-center work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

McKinnon penalizes his fellow drill sergeant by dismissing him from overseeing that unit.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2025

Existing law already penalizes solicitation of a minor under 16 as a misdemeanor or felony on the first offense and as a felony on subsequent offenses.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025

The professional spirit detects its own violations and penalizes them.

From My Life and Work by Henry Ford

People who sell to lower- and moderate-income consumers are getting penalized by their customers in some cases for raising prices, but they’re still willing to try, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

The fact the central bank is offering a backstop should make the run less likely, and shareholders are penalized, through the penalty rate, if it is used.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

An Australian court penalized that company for false advertising.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Ballmer also could be penalized and Leonard’s contract could be voided.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Opponents, meanwhile, worry that certain students will be unfairly penalized if they don’t happen to test well, and that teachers may concentrate on the test topics at the exclusion of more important lessons.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

“Meta still has the most call optionality, where the market is penalizing them for the spend and not giving them credit for potential revenue from the spend,” he wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last year said he supports penalizing companies when prosecutors also can identify and charge people behind the wrongdoing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

In response, the VA’s new rule asserts a blanket policy of considering the condition only as it presents under treatment, basically penalizing veterans like me for doing the work of staying alive.

From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2026

The suit claims that about 100 schools are left without these additional resources, penalizing them with larger class sizes and fewer opportunities to meet with teachers, among other drawbacks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026

The captain and referee may disqualify for one game; but to make it permanent penalizing, the matter must be brought before Miss Watson.

From Hester's Counterpart A Story of Boarding School Life by Adele W. Jones

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