penal code
Americannoun
noun
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.
Capital punishment remains in the country's penal code for some offences, but no execution has been carried out since 1993.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
According to Human Rights Watch, "several penal code provisions, as well as the cybercrime law, criminalise speech deemed insulting to religion, the emir or foreign leaders".
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
The interim government is prosecuting Atef Najib under the 1949 penal code, a statute written for ordinary murder, not for crimes against humanity.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
The government says it will focus on tax, labor and penal code reforms in the coming extraordinary session of Congress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Special courts for children mitigate the stern penal code and modify it according to the needs of unripe, youthful characters.
From Morals and the Evolution of Man by Max Simon Nordau
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.
