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.
The complaint seeks a permanent injunction, an award no less than for $15 million for actual damages and punitive damages.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
In Luria’s view, investors will start to “rethink the previous punitive valuation framework” for Micron, which will lead to “substantial upside.”
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
By targeting Iran instead of all pistachio exporting countries, it shows the policy was mainly punitive, rather than intentionally protectionist.
From Salon • May 6, 2026
If California’s punitive morass of regulatory and litigious constraints on dredging were reformed, new technologies could make dredging more cost-effective than ever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
A compassionate, humane approach to the problems of the urban poor must replace the punitive practices and policies that have multiplied the harms associated with poverty and racial oppression.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
