punitive damages

See more synonyms for punitive damages on Thesaurus.com

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.

Compare compensatory damages.

Origin of punitive damages

First recorded in 1970–75

Also called exemplary damages.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for punitive damages

amercement, damages