punitive damages

American  

plural noun

Law.

1. 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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Etymology

Origin of punitive damages

First recorded in 1970–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

punitive damages

Lakeeta Vaccaro Hill was denied punitive damages by the six-person jury that deliberated for less than four hours.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages along with her attorneys’ fees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

A judge later added hundreds of millions of dollars in punitive damages, bringing that judgment to roughly $1.4 billion.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

Compensation for physical injury is excluded from gross income, but punitive damages and any interest earned are taxable.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

There shall be no annexations, no contributions, no punitive damages....

From The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes

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