punitive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonpunitive adjective
- nonpunitory adjective
- punitively adverb
- punitiveness noun
- self-punitive adjective
- semipunitive adjective
- semipunitory adjective
- unpunitive adjective
Etymology
Origin of punitive
1615–25; < Medieval Latin pūnītīvus of punishment, equivalent to Latin pūnīt ( us ) (past participle of pūnīre to punish ) + -īvus -ive
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.
The EU has finally agreed to remove the punitive measures it imposed in 2023.
From BBC
The Workers Fraud Protection Act, which takes effect Jan. 1, makes it “unlawful to falsely impersonate a union representative” and imposes punitive fines.
Hosting a gathering for relatives can sometimes come with a barrage of questions and requests that can feel almost punitive.
From MarketWatch
Ahmed faces the "imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion" from the United States, the court filing said.
From Barron's
You learn where splurging matters to you — good olive oil and great bread, perhaps — and where frugality feels easy rather than punitive.
From Salon
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.
