penalty

noun

ˈpe-nᵊl-tē How to pronounce penalty (audio)
Definition of penaltynext
1
as in fine
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment the penalty for speeding is $10 for every mile over the speed limit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense in some cases, the new penalties for drug offenses were harsher than those for violent crimes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success suffered the penalty of his decision to leave school without graduating

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penalty Subsequent testing by the centrist think tank Third Way found that not responding cost Democrats roughly eight points, a penalty largely erased by a direct rebuttal. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 The charges relating to false reports and false statements carry a penalty of up to six months and/or a $500 fine, the statement said. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 That was more to have video evidence of a goalie roughing penalty for future reference. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Turnovers, penalties and special teams must be watched closely. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for penalty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalty
  1. fine
  2. punishment
  3. disadvantage
  4. damages
  5. wrath
  6. expense
Noun
  • Fans rushed the field afterward, and the Vols will gladly pay the SEC fine.
    — Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The 2024 report found the city court had issued arrest warrants for more than 650 people, roughly half of Lexington’s population, for unpaid fines.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of fine
Noun
  • Neither White, Belcher nor Thompson — or KU’s athletic department — risk punishment if the players compete in games.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Six states were responsible for the 31 executions in 2026 — even though 27 states still legally allow the most severe form of punishment in this country.
    — Nate Perez, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of punishment
Noun
  • Super PACs don't face the same pricing disadvantage on digital ads, where campaigns and outside groups compete on more equal footing.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Paxton and Husted in particular demonstrate the GOP disadvantage at the candidate level, although the Republican super PAC spending in Texas and Ohio is intended to counteract it.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disadvantage
Noun
  • Having presented what seemed to be a solid alibi, Archer won and was awarded £500,000 in damages.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Qualifying risks must involve more than $1 billion in damages or the deaths or serious injuries of over 50 people.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of damages
Noun
  • While Brian rode off to war, Ellen reluctantly returned to Leoch, fully aware of the wrath awaiting her from Colum in particular.
    — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • None of these companies want to incur the wrath of this very vengeful president.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrath
Noun
  • As Rose begins his fight against leukemia, his family is facing the emotional and financial challenges of medical treatments and ongoing healthcare expenses.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • For Hobby, delays in state funding for her college expenses — and now her professional licensing — slowed her progress toward a better-paying career.
    — Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of expense

Browse Nearby Words

penalties
penalty
penchant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalty. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on penalty

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about penalty

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All