penalty

American  

[pen-l-tee] / ˈpɛn l ti /

noun

plural

penalties

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

---

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

Appeared in the January 23, 2026, print edition as 'How the PGA Tour Won Back a LIV Star With a Hefty Penalty'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

As the Death Penalty Information Center notes, “at least 41 parents and caregivers across 21 states and the military have been exonerated since 1992 after being wrongfully convicted based on the ‘Shaken Baby’ hypothesis.”

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025

Over the past decade, as the Death Penalty Information Center reports, death penalty states across the country “have enacted new secrecy statutes that conceal vital information about the execution process.”

From Slate • May 6, 2025

"We're one of the busiest restaurants. I don't want to say it, but if you ask around about the Penalty Box, they'll tell you," its 70-year-old owner, Van Niforos, said.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2025

“Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I’ve never seen such tactics!”

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• cost
• discipline
• fine
• forfeiture
• punishment