ENGLISH
REFERENCE

penalties

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈpɛnəɫtiz// UK //pˈɛnəltɪz// penal·ties Informal

n. punishments for breaking a rule or a law. You often hear this word in sports or when someone has to pay a fine for being late.

n. punishments imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract. Often used in legal, financial, or sporting contexts to describe the consequences of non-compliance.


SIMPLE

The company faces heavy penalties for polluting the river.

CONTEXTUAL

The referee gave several penalties during the final minutes of the game to keep the players under control.

COMPLEX

Contractual penalties for late delivery are designed to ensure that suppliers adhere strictly to the agreed timeline, protecting the buyer from potential lost revenue.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Commonly used in the plural when referring to a set of rules or a general system of punishment.

Pitfall

The player committed a penalty.The player committed a foul.In sports, a player commits a 'foul' or an 'infraction'; the 'penalty' is the punishment that follows.

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