penal

[ peen-l ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving punishment, as for crimes or offenses.
2. prescribing punishment:

   penal laws.

3. constituting punishment:

   He survived the years of penal hardship.

4. used as a place of confinement and punishment:

   a penal colony.

5. subject to or incurring punishment:

   a penal offense.

6. payable or forfeitable as a penalty:

   a penal sum.

penal

/ ˈpiːnəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, constituting, or prescribing punishment
2. payable as a penalty

   a penal sum

3. used or designated as a place of punishment

   a penal institution

Derived Forms

• ˈpenally, adverb

Other Words From

• pe·nal·i·ty [pi-, nal, -i-tee], noun
• penal·ly adverb
• non·penal adjective
• un·penal adjective
• un·penal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of penal¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin poenālis, equivalent to poen ( a ) penalty (< Greek poinḗ fine) + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of penal¹

C15: from Late Latin poenālis concerning punishment, from poena penalty

Example Sentences

Naidu and Lynch are not the first activists from Just Stop Oil to go through the British penal system.

From Salon

He died in February in a brutal penal colony in the Arctic Circle.

From BBC

A man who was detained in Russia after his daughter drew an anti-war picture - in a case that generated global headlines - has been released from a penal colony.

From BBC

A court in Moscow has sentenced a French researcher to three years in a penal colony for breaking Russia's controversial law on registering as a "foreign agent".

From BBC

He said the government should consider launching a public inquiry into the penal system.

From BBC

Related Words

• punitive