penalty

American  

[pen-l-tee] / ˈpɛn l ti /

noun

• penalties
  plural

1. a punishment imposed or incurred for a violation of law or rule.

2. a loss, forfeiture, suffering, or the like, to which one subjects oneself by nonfulfillment of some obligation.

3. something that is forfeited, as a sum of money.

4. a disadvantage imposed upon one of the competitors or upon one side for infraction of the rules of a game, sport, etc.

5. consequence or disadvantage attached to any action, condition, etc.

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penalty British  

/ ˈpɛnəltɪ /

noun

1. a legal or official punishment, such as a term of imprisonment

2. some other form of punishment, such as a fine or forfeit for not fulfilling a contract

3. loss, suffering, or other unfortunate result of one's own action, error, etc

4. sport games a handicap awarded against a player or team for illegal play, such as a free shot at goal by the opposing team, loss of points, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• penalties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of penalty

1505–15; ≪ Medieval Latin poenālitās. See penal, -ty ²

Explanation

A penalty is a punishment or consequence for doing something wrong, such as having to pay a fee for not bringing your library book back when it was due. In hockey, players who break the rules have to sit in "the penalty box." Just like the penalty box punishes hockey players, all penalties are punishments for doing something wrong. Going to prison is the penalty for serious crimes. Detention is the penalty for misbehaving in school. Often, penalty applies to payments people have to make for breaking a financial contract of some kind.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

penalty penalties

Marred an excellent performance by missing a second-half penalty.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Ms. Chow and Mr. Lee face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Alas, the touchdown didn’t count because of another penalty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

A loss for the social media giant could see it slapped with a $200 billion penalty, force fundamental changes to its business model and send shockwaves through the industry.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Once the Court’s opinion was released, however, it became clear the case was about much more than the death penalty.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

The clearest example: In July, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Kalshi, calling prediction markets “gambling platforms, plain and simple” and seeking penalties that could reach $36 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

The State and Treasury departments announced they are leveling additional penalties against nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

These providers typically don’t get paid for electricity they fail to provide, and in some cases must pay penalties for failing to deliver, according to industry experts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Premier League saw 269 goals scored from set-pieces last season - excluding penalties and direct free-kicks.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

So far, Suzanne Braden reports, poaching has been nearly eliminated—thanks to extreme penalties that can include up to ten years behind bars.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

Related Words

• cost
• discipline
• fine
• forfeiture
• punishment