punitive
adjective
serving for, concerned with, or inflicting punishment.
punitively
-
a word derived from
punitive.
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.
“I did say that we need to be more efficient when it comes to removing individuals from the United States, because ICE doesn’t detain people punitively — we detain to remove,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
The task force recommends, among other reforms, that “sentences should not be punitively inflated simply because a defendant exercised” the right to a trial.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 10, 2023
I don’t mean you should do so punitively, and it doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to be concerned!
From Slate ● Mar. 19, 2020
Companies are acting more swiftly and punitively than ever before.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 4, 2017
When we cannot act advantageously, we may act punitively, so that the public servant may know that if he ignores or hypocritically juggles with our interests, he will be held to a strict accountability.
From The Negro and the elective franchise. A Series Of Papers And A Sermon (The American Negro Academy. Occasional Papers, No. 11.) by Charles C. Cook
