penalty — a punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpenəlti/
Example Sentences
- The student received a penalty of detention for arriving late every day.
- The penalty for eating pizza in bed is finding cheese under your pillow.
- There's a heavy penalty for parking in the principal's spot.
penalty
NOUN[/ˈpenəlti/]
a punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract
The player received a penalty for breaking the rules during the match.
The company paid a large penalty after violating safety regulations. (PUNISH + RULE = PENALTY → a penalty happens when rules are broken and punishment follows)
The penalty taught him that responsibility eventually becomes reality.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin 'poena', meaning punishment or penalty. It evolved through Medieval Latin 'penalitas' to reach its modern form, maintaining its original sense of legal punishment from ancient Rome to the present day.
Breakdown
poena- (punishment) + -al (adjective-forming suffix) + -ty (noun-forming suffix), collectively expressing the quality or state of being subject to punishment.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The student received a penalty of detention for arriving late every day.”
“The penalty for eating pizza in bed is finding cheese under your pillow.”
“There's a heavy penalty for parking in the principal's spot.”
“The penalty of being too handsome is having to reject admirers all day.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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