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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Just Mercy
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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.
She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages along with her attorneys’ fees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
The Texas appeals court said state law required it to substantially reduce the punitive portion of the Heslin-Lewis award, despite rejecting other arguments Jones made challenging the verdict.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
However, there is growing concern that punitive disciplinary practices at some schools in England are damaging children.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The old common-law “hue and cry” is not a model to romanticize; it could be coercive, punitive, and exclusionary.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Also on the list are the punitive armies of Rome, the fecklessness of Byzantium, Ottoman indifference, and British gunboats.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
