punitive damages

American  

plural noun

Law.

1. damages awarded to a plaintiff in excess of compensatory damages in order to punish the defendant for a reckless or willful act.

---

Etymology

Origin of punitive damages

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

"Punitive damages punish a defendant who has acted maliciously & discourage others from doing the same. A jury could award Carroll damages in an amount that exceeds what she got in the first case."

From Salon • May 23, 2023

Punitive damages are generally limited to attorneys fees for emotional distress and defamation, but there is no cap on such damages under the Unfair Trade Practices Act, which bars deceptive business practices and unfair competition.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2022

Punitive damages are meant to sting, Tobias said, so juries tend to award sums proportionate to the defendant’s finances despite many states contradictorily having caps on such awards.

From Washington Post • Aug. 5, 2022

Punitive damages are designed to punish especially harmful behavior and tend to be granted at the court’s discretion, and are sometimes many multiples of a compensatory award.

From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2022

"Punitive damages, the dismemberment of empires, the establishment of selfish and exclusive economic leagues, we deem inexpedient."

From Woodrow Wilson and the World War A Chronicle of Our Own Times. by Seymour, Charles