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.

---

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

---

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

For example, eligible seniors who do not sign up for Part B may face a permanent penalty for enrolling late.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Dane Murray upended Jhon Duran to concede a penalty inside four minutes, an error which characterised the first 45 minutes.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

A critical climate case is on the docket and the justice’s record on the death penalty was on full display with the botched execution of Christa Pike; they discuss it all.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

US authorities announced the penalty late Tuesday afternoon, charging that the bank failed to properly report more than $5 billion in "suspicious transactions," some related to national security risks.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

He had been preparing for a traditional legal career until he came down to work with us one summer and became fascinated by the issues that death penalty cases presented.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Under the Investment Canada Act, the government’s options in court include seeking financial penalties, forcing the company to abide by commitments and a forced divestiture of the Canadian assets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Those who wait for this enrollment period may be subject to penalties.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

After obliterating Inter Milan 5-0 in the 2025 final before squeezing past Arsenal on penalties in last season's showpiece game, Luis Enrique's side are aiming to win a third consecutive European crown.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Treasury Department said it is imposing $1.21 billion in penalties against Bank of America for violating laws designed to prevent financial crimes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Jesse and Eric both got promotions at work, and Jesse e-mailed me a new spreadsheet showing he’d need about $3,000—deposits for a new place, penalties to get out of the old, another truck, etc.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• cost
• discipline
• fine
• forfeiture
• punishment

---