penal

American  

[peen-l] / ˈpin l /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving punishment, as for crimes or offenses.

2. prescribing punishment.

   penal laws.

3. constituting punishment.

   He survived the years of penal hardship.

4. used as a place of confinement and punishment.

   a penal colony.

5. subject to or incurring punishment.

   a penal offense.

6. payable or forfeitable as a penalty.

   a penal sum.

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penal British  

/ ˈpiːnəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, constituting, or prescribing punishment

2. payable as a penalty

   a penal sum

3. used or designated as a place of punishment

   a penal institution

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Other Word Forms

• nonpenal adjective
• penality noun
• penally adverb
• unpenal adjective
• unpenally adverb

Etymology

Origin of penal

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin poenālis, equivalent to poen ( a ) penalty (< Greek poinḗ fine) + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

Just over a year later, he died in the Polar Wolf penal colony above the Arctic Circle.

From BBC

Traces of epibatidine were found in samples from Navalny's body and highly likely resulted in his death in a Siberian penal colony two years ago, the UK Foreign Office said.

From BBC

According to Russian accounts, the 47-year-old took a short walk at his Siberian penal colony, said he felt unwell, then collapsed and never regained consciousness.

From BBC

Despite the many Aboriginal communities, the British deemed the place terra nullius—no one’s land—and established a penal colony, bringing diseases that drastically reduced the indigenous population.

From The Wall Street Journal

The punishment for which in Colombia is a prison sentence of between 26 to 45 years, according to the country's penal code.

From Barron's

Related Words

• punitive