penalize
v. B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpɛnəˌɫaɪz// pe·nal·ize
v. to punish someone or a team for breaking a rule. In sports, this usually means taking away points or giving a time penalty.
v. to impose a penalty or punishment for a specific infraction. Often used in the context of sports or legal systems to describe the formal consequence of a rule violation.
The referee decided to penalize the team for the foul.
The committee will penalize any member who fails to submit their annual report by the deadline.
While the league aims to penalize aggressive play, the subjective nature of the calls often leads to heated debates among fans and analysts alike.
From penal + -ize.