punishment

[puhn-ish-muhnt]

noun

1. the act of punishing. punishing.

2. the fact of being punished, as for an offense or fault.

3. a penalty inflicted for an offense, fault, etc.

4. severe handling or treatment.

punishment

/ ˈpʌnɪʃmənt /

noun

1. a penalty or sanction given for any crime or offence

2. the act of punishing or state of being punished

3. informal,  rough treatment

4. psychol any aversive stimulus administered to an organism as part of training

Other Word Forms

• nonpunishment noun
• overpunishment noun
• prepunishment noun
• propunishment adjective
• repunishment noun
• self-punishment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of punishment¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English punysshement, from Anglo-French punisement, Old French punissement; equivalent to punish + -ment

Idioms and Phrases

see glutton for punishment.

Example Sentences

In February this year, Young Boys had a suspended partial home stadium closure activated for the lighting of fireworks, with a new and more substantial ground punishment placing them on probation for another two years.

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Commitment could not be questioned here, but Spurs were undone by momentary lapses that always risk the ultimate punishment against PSG.

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But there several other examples of Fifa looking kindly upon players, reducing their ban from the mandatory punishment.

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The standard punishment for a red card for violent conduct is a three-match ban, but if the FA thinks that a dismissal offence is "truly exceptional" it can seek to increase the punishment.

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"I just feel like maybe my punishment was more than it needed to be," she says.

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Related Words

• abuse 
• beating 
• discipline 
• forfeiture 
• retribution 
• sanction 
• suffering 
• torture 
• trial