punishment

[puhn-ish-muhnt]

noun

1. the act of punishing. punishing.

2. the fact of being punished, as for an offense or fault.

3. a penalty inflicted for an offense, fault, etc.

4. severe handling or treatment.

punishment

/ ˈpʌnɪʃmənt /

noun

1. a penalty or sanction given for any crime or offence

2. the act of punishing or state of being punished

3. informal,  rough treatment

4. psychol any aversive stimulus administered to an organism as part of training

Other Word Forms

• nonpunishment noun
• overpunishment noun
• prepunishment noun
• propunishment adjective
• repunishment noun
• self-punishment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of punishment¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English punysshement, from Anglo-French punisement, Old French punissement; equivalent to punish + -ment

Idioms and Phrases

see glutton for punishment.

Example Sentences

But if I didn’t go, other and worse punishments would be in store for me later.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This gave way to ever-more-sophisticated accounting and management strategies that employed metrics for the depreciation of slave worker value and the dishing out of incentives—both rewards and punishments—for their performance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Bishop Montgomery received the harshest punishment, with 24 players declared ineligible, forcing the school to cancel its football season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Fields said he has gained 20 pounds since the end of last season, helping him take punishment better and run through tackles.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Ordinary people don't care about the semantics, they want to see punishment, and public opinion is very much against Andrew, the Palace knows that, and the language very much reflect that".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• abuse 
• beating 
• discipline 
• forfeiture 
• retribution 
• sanction 
• suffering 
• torture 
• trial