penalize

[ peen-l-ahyz, pen- ]

verb (used with object)

, pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing.

1. to subject to a penalty, as a person.
2. to declare (an action, deed, etc.) punishable by law or rule.
3. to put under a disadvantage or handicap.

penalize

/ ˈpiːnəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to impose a penalty on (someone), as for breaking a law or rule
2. to inflict a handicap or disadvantage on
3. sport to award a free stroke, point, or penalty against (a player or team)
4. to declare (an act) legally punishable; make subject to a penalty

Derived Forms

• ˌpenaliˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• penal·iza·ble adjective
• penal·i·zation noun
• non·penal·ized adjective
• over·penal·i·zation noun
• over·penal·ize verb (used with object) overpenalized overpenalizing
• re·penal·ize verb (used with object) repenalized repenalizing
• un·penal·ized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of penalize¹

First recorded in 1865–70; penal + -ize

Example Sentences

Doing that will surely get you penalized and or even banned from Google.

From Search Engine Watch

Zacche’s attorney said the former chief shouldn’t have been penalized as severely as he was.

From ProPublica

Employees ended up being penalized for getting too close, the Guardian article alleges, even if it wasn’t their fault.

From Time

He was penalized two strokes, and the incident followed him onto the course the following week during Presidents Cup play.

From Washington Post

Also, you’ll be at higher risk of getting penalized due to duplicate content.

From Search Engine Watch

Major League Baseball actually does not penalize usage in the bigs, but does crack down on minor leaguers.

From The Daily Beast

So when Sotnikova stepped out of her jumping combination, the judges did penalize her.

From The Daily Beast

If we financially penalize good medicine, we cannot expect it to flourish.

From The Daily Beast

Retailers penalize those who block off a lot of time as unavailable by giving them fewer hours.

From The Daily Beast

Barry was also known to penalize friends who wasted precioussmoke ( i.e. not performing TA) by denying them a hit.

From The Daily Beast

This would give compelling effect to distance as a factor, and would tend to penalize the roundabout carriage of goods.

From Project Gutenberg

He thinks we are thieves and scoundrels and tearers up of treaties, because we did not penalize ourselves!

From Project Gutenberg

“I think it was pretty rough, Mr. Upton, to penalize him for an unintentional foul,” said Morrill.

From Project Gutenberg

We penalize ourselves every time we run a train without full tonnage.

From Project Gutenberg

The act referred to prohibits slavery, but does not penalize it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• castigate
• chastise
• discipline
• fine