penalize
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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
Game Changer
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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.
Corporate boards routinely face judgment calls about the extent to reward or penalize executives for unforeseen events, said Douglas Chia, a corporate-governance consultant and president of Soundboard Governance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
“The goal was never to penalize an individual who’s unhoused,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
Federal and state agencies also must be empowered with the resources to penalize bait-and-switch tactics swiftly.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026
China said it would penalize 20 U.S. defense companies and 10 executives, The Wall Street Journal reported.
From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025
“I own the original patent for making patent leather, ” Fletcher said in a patent lie. penalize.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
