noun
-
a penalty or sanction given for any crime or offence
-
the act of punishing or state of being punished
-
informal rough treatment
-
psychol any aversive stimulus administered to an organism as part of training
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonpunishmentnoun
-
overpunishmentnoun
-
prepunishmentnoun
-
repunishmentnoun
-
self-punishmentnoun
-
propunishmentadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of punishment
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English punysshement, from Anglo-French punisement, Old French punissement; equivalent to punish + -ment
Explanation
Punishment is the penalty you have to pay when you're caught doing something bad. A teenager's punishment for missing her curfew might be helping her dad clean the garage. When someone is officially penalized for a mistake or a crime, that's punishment. Stealing a car could result in a punishment involving jail, while pinching your little sister might mean a punishment as mild as sitting in a chair and thinking about ways to be nicer next time. The Latin root of punishment and its related verb, punish, is punire, "punish, correct, take vengeance for, or cause pain for some offense."
Vocabulary lists containing punishment
Psychology
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Nadia the Willful"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The House of Hades
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Inglewood informed the Southern Section that it imposed a two-game suspension as punishment to James, who returned to coach last week in a win over Downey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Clemency, meaning mercy or leniency, lets the president reduce the punishment for, or even forgive, federal crimes.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Rodri dismissed talk of City being stripped of some of the titles they won as part of any punishment against the club.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
They want to engage with ideas—and with each other—without fear of social or academic punishment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
He launches into a lively description of Okeus, the vengeful god, who requires sacrifices of tobacco, copper, beads, and sometimes animal blood, and sends punishment if he is not made happy.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
"The trial court imposed one of the harshest punishments for these charges, although fines and less severe penalties were also available."
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
One of the biggest punishments in NBA history initially stemmed, according to the report, from Robertson’s straightforward demand for extra money for Leonard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
No reason was given, beyond citing a rule that allows punishments to be suspended.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Blumenfield, who authored a motion to start the process, called the law, along with its punishments of a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, “uncommonly silly.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
And the old king, afraid the desperation would lead the people into disorder, had imposed strict laws with harsh punishments.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
