punitive damages
Americanplural noun
Etymology
Origin of punitive damages
First recorded in 1970–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unified suit appears to target the entire $22 million as restitution plus potential punitive damages.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
The complaint seeks a permanent injunction, an award no less than for $15 million for actual damages and punitive damages.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
He has demanded both compensatory damages to redress his own harms as well as punitive damages “to deter future unconstitutional conduct.”
From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026
When arguing for punitive damages against the tech companies, Lanier held up a jar of 415 M&Ms to show how a $1 billion fine would be a fraction of Alphabet’s $415 billion in shareholder equity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
A court subsequently awarded them nearly a million dollars in compensatory and punitive damages.
From Wild Justice by Sprague, Ruth M.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
