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Synonyms

penal code

American  

noun

Law.

  1. the aggregate of statutory enactments dealing with crimes and their punishment.

penal code British  

noun

  1. the codified body of the laws in any legal system that relate to crime and its punishment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of penal code

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

This comes from Penal Code Section 396, which prohibits price gouging on consumer goods, services and rent.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2025

A number of petitions have been filed in recent years seeking to strike down Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, which has been in existence since 1860.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

The Legislature should pass a bill to remove mandatory work from the Penal Code that doesn’t rely on a constitutional amendment.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2024

In India, the Penal Code of 1861 punished those who attempted to enslave others.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

“He says we are charged under Article 58 of the Soviet Penal Code for counterrevolutionary activities against the USSR,” said Mother.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

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.