penalty
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a punishment given by a court for a crime.
a judicial punishment or sentence imposed for a violation of the law.
Simple“The maximum penalty for speeding in this area is a heavy fine.”
In context“The judge noted that the statutory penalty for such a breach of trust was intended to act as a significant deterrent to others.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
a punishment for breaking a rule in a game, often giving the other team an advantage.
a disadvantage imposed on a player or team for an infringement of the rules.
Simple“The referee gave a penalty after the defender tripped the striker.”
In context“The team's momentum stalled after they conceded a penalty in the final minutes of the championship match.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
an extra amount of money you must pay if you break an agreement or pay late.
a sum of money required as a forfeit for a breach of contract or late payment.
Simple“There is a small penalty if you withdraw your savings before the end of the year.”
In context“The contract stipulates a daily penalty for every 24-hour period the project remains unfinished beyond the agreed deadline.”
Usage penalty area
“More than 90% of fines nationally (459,288 penalties in 20245-25) are issued for this reason.”
“READ ALSO: What are the penalties for drug possession in Spain?”
From Middle French pénalité, from pénal, from Latin poenālis, from poena, borrowing of Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ), from Proto-Hellenic kʷoinā́, from Proto-Indo-European kʷoynéh₂, comprising kʷey- + -néh₂.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.