punitive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of punitive
1615–25; < Medieval Latin pūnītīvus of punishment, equivalent to Latin pūnīt ( us ) (past participle of pūnīre to punish ) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Punitive describes inflicting a punishment. If someone takes punitive action against you, you'll probably whine and complain — you're in trouble and you're about to get punished. An easy way to remember the meaning of punitive is that it looks like the word punish — both come from the Latin root word punire, "to inflict a penalty on." Punitive doesn't always refer to a person-to-person punishment, like a mom disciplining a child. It can also describe the unpleasant result of an action on a large scale, like the punitive effect higher taxes will have on the middle class.
Vocabulary lists containing punitive
This Week in Words: September 15 - 21, 2018
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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.
Compensation for physical injury is excluded from gross income, but punitive damages and any interest earned are taxable.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Said is seeking compensatory and punitive damages along with her attorneys’ fees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Separately, he has seen more early acquihires that were “extremely punitive to the investors” and lucrative for the founders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Across England, there is growing concern about punitive disciplinary practices in schools.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
She was holding to her chest a doll with yellow hair that looked as if it had been chopped, as a punitive measure, with a pair of dull scissors.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
