on pain of
Under threat of
On pain of introduces the penalty for disobedience or failure: on pain of death, on pain of excommunication.
The phrase appears in formal edicts, laws, and dramatic ultimatums, warning that a specified punishment will follow if the command is ignored.
The king forbade anyone to enter the forest on pain of imprisonment.
- conditionalityState of being dependent
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- forfeitureLoss due to breach
- ultimatumNon-negotiable final terms
- or elseImplied negative consequence
penalty · sanction · banishment · fear · duty · retribution · excommunication · enjoin · apprehension · court order · edict · injunction · inviolable · decree · warning · proscription · fine · obey
COERCION vs. VOLUNTARINESS
on pain ofof one's own free will
voluntarily · of one's own accord · by choice · freely · willingly
pain, painting, painful, pains, painter, punishment, painless, pained, painfully