penalize
Americanverb (used with object)
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penalizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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penalized,
past participle, past
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penalizing
present participle
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to subject to a penalty, as a person.
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to declare (an action, deed, etc.) punishable by law or rule.
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to put under a disadvantage or handicap.
verb
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to impose a penalty on (someone), as for breaking a law or rule
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to inflict a handicap or disadvantage on
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sport to award a free stroke, point, or penalty against (a player or team)
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to declare (an act) legally punishable; make subject to a penalty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overpenalizationnoun
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penalizationnoun
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overpenalizeverb (used with object)
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repenalizeverb (used with object)
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nonpenalizedadjective
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penalizableadjective
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unpenalizedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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penalizesimple
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penalizessimple
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have penalizedperfect
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has penalizedperfect
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am penalizingprogressive
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are penalizingprogressive
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is penalizingprogressive
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have been penalizingperfect progressive
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has been penalizingperfect progressive
Past
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penalizedsimple
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had penalizedperfect
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was penalizingprogressive
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were penalizingprogressive
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had been penalizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of penalize
Explanation
When you penalize someone, you punish them. A traffic cop will usually penalize a speeder with an expensive ticket. A court might penalize a criminal with fines or time in prison, while a frustrated teacher is more likely to penalize the class clown with detention. Sports referees frequently penalize players by allowing the opposing team an advantage of some sort, like a penalty kick in soccer or a free throw in basketball. Penalize is rooted in penal, or "pertaining to punishment." The Greek root is poine, "penalty, punishment, or blood money."
Vocabulary lists containing penalize
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New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964), List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
On Wednesday, regulators disclosed that the government won’t penalize compounding pharmacies that produce the six peptides reviewed by the FDA’s advisory committee in July: BPC-157, Epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax and TB-500.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Supporters say licensing will give California the authority to act on any complaints, and to investigate and penalize companies for unfair or deceptive practices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
These often measure text similarity or overlap, but they don’t heavily penalize the tiny errors that should fail in a health setting.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
In the reports, OpenAI said that it had improved its alignment grading system to better penalize bad behavior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
On January 15, 1872, they staged a nighttime march to voice their anger over laws they felt were designed to penalize a single class, namely the poor.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
Lockwood hears from parents who wonder if saving for college penalizes them when it comes to financial aid.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
It also penalizes companies whose business is more blue-collar or in services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
Existing law already penalizes solicitation of a minor under 16 as a misdemeanor or felony on the first offense and as a felony on subsequent offenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025
According to the New York Times, the company “routinely refuses to accept doctors’ notes, penalizes workers who need to take care of a sick family member and otherwise punishes employees for lawful absences.”
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2024
It is less attractive because it penalizes both the short term and the long-term financial players.
From After the Rain : how the West lost the East by Samuel Vaknin
The Rams were penalized 13 times for 91 yards, including several critical calls against them in the final minutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Safety Quentin Lake was penalized for illegal use of hands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
People who sell to lower- and moderate-income consumers are getting penalized by their customers in some cases for raising prices, but they’re still willing to try, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
The fact the central bank is offering a backstop should make the run less likely, and shareholders are penalized, through the penalty rate, if it is used.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The guide notes that agency ratings and funding are tied to whether they are “adopting and implementing effective applicant screening,” a clear signal that agencies may be penalized for not cleaning house.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
The campaign included sanctions penalizing foreign entities that helped Iran, cutting them off from the U.S.-led global financial system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
“Meta still has the most call optionality, where the market is penalizing them for the spend and not giving them credit for potential revenue from the spend,” he wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
The Justice Department has its own process for investigating and penalizing its lawyers accused of violating ethics, but that is not a substitute for state bar investigations and punishments.
From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026
The suit claims that about 100 schools are left without these additional resources, penalizing them with larger class sizes and fewer opportunities to meet with teachers, among other drawbacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026
It looks to be my one chance of getting even with the owner for penalizing me in the matter of baths.
From Europe Revised by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb
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