penalize
verb (used with object)
to subject to a penalty, as a person.
penalizes
-
present tense formof penalize (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
Lockwood hears from parents who wonder if saving for college penalizes them when it comes to financial aid.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
“It penalizes the very thing that we want, which is we want more employment.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
McKinnon penalizes his fellow drill sergeant by dismissing him from overseeing that unit.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 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
Artificial interference with a more exact adjustment of wages to ability therefore penalizes the better workmen and subsidizes the worse ones.
From Applied Eugenics by Paul Popenoe
