Definitions
01legal punishment
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. a punishment given by a court for a crime.
n. a judicial punishment or sentence imposed for a violation of the law.
Español:pena
“The maximum penalty for speeding in this area is a heavy fine.”
“The judge noted that the statutory penalty for such a breach of trust was intended to act as a significant deterrent to others.”
Synonyms
02sporting foul
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Sports
n. a punishment for breaking a rule in a game, often giving the other team an advantage.
n. a disadvantage imposed on a player or team for an infringement of the rules.
“The referee gave a penalty after the defender tripped the striker.”
“The team's momentum stalled after they conceded a penalty in the final minutes of the championship match.”
03financial charge
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Finance
n. an extra amount of money you must pay if you break an agreement or pay late.
n. a sum of money required as a forfeit for a breach of contract or late payment.
“There is a small penalty if you withdraw your savings before the end of the year.”
“The contract stipulates a daily penalty for every 24-hour period the project remains unfinished beyond the agreed deadline.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “penalty” in context.
Verb
01. face a penalty
“Athletes who test positive for banned substances face a severe penalty, including a long-term ban.”
verb + noun
02. impose a penalty
“The judge decided to impose a heavy penalty on the company for violating safety regulations.”
verb + noun
03. incur a penalty
“Late submissions will incur a penalty of ten percent of the total mark.”
verb + noun
04. pay a penalty
“You will have to pay a penalty if you cancel your flight at the last minute.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. financial penalty
“The bank was forced to pay a massive financial penalty for its role in the scandal.”
adj + noun
06. stiff penalty
“The government introduced stiff penalties for drivers caught using their mobile phones.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. penalty shoot-out
“The match was decided by a dramatic penalty shoot-out after the scores remained level.”
noun + noun
08. death penalty
“Many countries have abolished the death penalty in favor of life imprisonment.”
noun + noun
Preposition
09. under penalty of
“Witnesses are required to tell the truth under penalty of perjury.”
prep + noun + prep
10. penalty area
Real-World Examples
“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?” Etymology
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.
Related words
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/penalty
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0