punitive damages
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plural noun Law.
damages awarded to a plaintiff in excess of compensatory damages in order to punish the defendant for a reckless or willful act.
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On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Also called exemplary damages .
Compare compensatory damages.
Origin of punitive damages
First recorded in 1970–75
Words nearby punitive damages
punishable, punishing, punishment, punition, punitive, punitive damages, Punjab, Punjabi, Punjab States, punji stake, punk
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021