punishable

American

[puhn-i-shuh-buhl] / ˈpʌn ɪ ʃə bəl /

adjective

liable to or deserving punishment.

ˈpunishable British

/ ˈpʌnɪʃəbəl /

adjective

liable to be punished or deserving of punishment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

nonpunishable adjective
punishability noun
repunishable adjective
unpunishable adjective

Etymology

Origin of punishable

1375–1425; late Middle English. See punish, -able

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.

Currently under German law, only the dissemination of such pictures is potentially punishable if it is found to have breached someone's right to their own image.

From BBC

"The inquiry has the power to order the production of documents and failure to comply with such an order without reasonable excuse is an offence punishable by imprisonment."

From BBC

Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

From BBC

Sierra Leone, which had one of the world’s highest rates of child marriage, made attending or even being the DJ at the wedding of a child a punishable crime.

From The Wall Street Journal

Failure to do this is classed as an "illegal practice", which can be punishable by a fine of up to £5,000.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023