punishment

[ puhn-ish-muhnt ]

noun

1. the act of punishing. punishing.
2. the fact of being punished, as for an offense or fault.
3. a penalty inflicted for an offense, fault, etc.
4. severe handling or treatment.

punishment

/ ˈpʌnɪʃmənt /

noun

1. a penalty or sanction given for any crime or offence
2. the act of punishing or state of being punished
3. informal.
   rough treatment
4. psychol any aversive stimulus administered to an organism as part of training

Other Words From

• non·punish·ment noun
• over·punish·ment noun
• pre·punish·ment noun
• pro·punish·ment adjective
• re·punish·ment noun
• self-punish·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of punishment¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English punysshement, from Anglo-French punisement, Old French punissement; equivalent to punish + -ment

Idioms and Phrases

see glutton for punishment .

Example Sentences

Me being a goofball got me out of being on punishment with my mom.

From Ozy

If indeed Barrios earned a percentage of the company’s profits, or continues to, and did not disclose it when he worked for Gómez, he could be open to additional punishment.

From Voice of San Diego

In accepting Giannulli’s plea deal, Gorton said the prison terms are “sufficient but not greater than necessary punishment under the circumstances.”

From Fortune

The approach could only have led to punishment of outstanding outliers in favor of a consistent average.

From MIT Technology Review

Ostensibly, they were added as punishment for facilitating shocking human rights abuses against Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang.

From MIT Technology Review

In an act of corporal punishment that we at the Daily Beast do not condone, Joseph grabbed Him by the ear and “pulled hard.”

From The Daily Beast

When Christians and Hindus are accused of insulting Islam in Pakistan, the punishment is harsh.

From The Daily Beast

Though, some would still indulge, even with the risk of punishment.

From The Daily Beast

In the 1980s, your community allowed hundreds of thousands of us to die because you believed AIDS was divine punishment.

From The Daily Beast

By the end of his life, the memories of corporal punishment at the hands of his teachers were vivid.

From The Daily Beast

The fact that the day following the punishment parade was a Sunday brought about a certain relaxation from discipline.

From Project Gutenberg

These evidences of an impulse to look on correction as a quite proper thing are corroborated by stories of self-punishment.

From Project Gutenberg

But once Austria was disposed of, Prussia and Russia met their punishment for having given her secret or open aid.

From Project Gutenberg

Punishment still comes to us from those whom we would circumvent.

From Project Gutenberg

It was he who deserved punishment—not the sufferer with his calamities imposed upon him by his erring sire.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abuse
• beating
• discipline
• forfeiture
• retribution
• sanction
• suffering
• torture
• trial