punish
v.v. to make someone suffer or face a penalty because they did something wrong. You do this to teach a lesson or follow a law.
v. to impose a penalty or inflict suffering on someone for an offence or fault. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the person or the action being addressed.
The teacher will punish students who cheat on the test.
The judge decided to punish the offender with community service rather than a prison sentence.
While some parents believe it is necessary to punish minor disobedience, others prefer to use positive reinforcement to encourage better behavior in the future.
From Middle English punischen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French puniss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of punir, from Latin puniō (“I inflict punishment upon”), from poena (“punishment, penalty”); see pain. Displaced Old English wītnian and (mostly, in this sense) wrecan.
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; often used with 'for' to indicate the reason.
He was punished for his crimes by the police.He was punished for his crimes by the court.Learners often use 'punish' for the act of catching a criminal; however, only an authority like a judge or parent punishes, while police arrest or detain.