punitive
Meant to penalize
Punitive describes actions intended to inflict punishment or impose a penalty.
A punitive measure or punitive action is one designed to penalize wrongdoing rather than to compensate victims or prevent future harm.
Punitive damages in law are monetary awards meant to punish defendants for egregious conduct beyond simply covering the plaintiff's losses.
The word carries connotations of harshness or severity: The new regulations felt punitive rather than corrective.
Extremely harsh, especially laws
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
- sternStrict or ship's aft
- oppressiveUnjustly harsh or stifling
- heavy-handedClumsy and oppressive
excessive · brutal · merciless · disproportionate · crushing · crippling · ruinous · onerous
Approval or punitive measure
- reprimandFormal expression of disapproval
- censureFormal institutional disapproval
- suspensionTemporary halt or exclusion
- expulsionForced permanent removal
probation · detention · admonition · chastisement · castigation · reproof · grounding · demotion
Complete thought, grammatically
- fineAcceptable in quality
- convictionFirmly held belief
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
prosecution · restitution · forfeiture · damages · imprisonment · incarceration · sanction · custody
Punishment for wrongdoing
- vengeanceRetaliation for injury
- revengePunishing a wrongdoer
- reprisalPunitive action in return
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
retaliation · comeuppance · requital · tit-for-tat · counterattack · backlash · redress · reciprocation
Prevention via threatened consequences
- sanctionApproval or punitive measure
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
- preventionStopping something before occurring
- discouragementLoss of confidence
warning · restraint · disincentive · cautionary · dissuasion · constraint · suppression · embargo
Youth offender institution
- rehabilitativePromoting return to health
- remedialIntended to fix problems
- correctiveDesigned to remedy flaws
- chasteningCorrective humiliation
restorative · reformative · re-education · retraining · reform · amendment · rectification · improvement
draconian
Extremely harsh, especially laws
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
- sternStrict or ship's aft
- oppressiveUnjustly harsh or stifling
heavy-handed · excessive · brutal · merciless · disproportionate · crushing · crippling · ruinous · onerous · burdensome
sanction
Approval or punitive measure
- reprimandFormal expression of disapproval
- censureFormal institutional disapproval
- suspensionTemporary halt or exclusion
expulsion · probation · detention · admonition · chastisement · castigation · reproof · grounding · demotion · dismissal
sentence
Complete thought, grammatically
- fineAcceptable in quality
- convictionFirmly held belief
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
judgment · prosecution · restitution · forfeiture · damages · imprisonment · incarceration · sanction · custody · confinement
retribution
Punishment for wrongdoing
payback · retaliation · comeuppance · requital · tit-for-tat · counterattack · backlash · redress · reciprocation · countermeasure
deterrence
Prevention via threatened consequences
- sanctionApproval or punitive measure
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
- preventionStopping something before occurring
discouragement · warning · restraint · disincentive · cautionary · dissuasion · constraint · suppression · embargo · moratorium
reformatory
Youth offender institution
- rehabilitativePromoting return to health
- remedialIntended to fix problems
- correctiveDesigned to remedy flaws
chastening · restorative · reformative · re-education · retraining · reform · amendment · rectification · improvement · reclamation
- oppressivestifling, suffocating, smothering, crushing, repressive
- damagescompensatory, nominal, actual, lost revenue, general
- tort damagespain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses, economic loss, mental anguish
- strictsevere, stern, harsh, rigid, firm
- legal termstrial, legal, appeal, lawsuit, law
- policy adjectivesfiscal, domestic, foreign, federal, national
punitiverehabilitative
Promoting return to health
restorative · reformative · therapeutic · corrective · supportive
punitivepardoning
Forgiving an offense officially
forgiving · exculpatory · exonerating · acquitting · absolving
- punitive measuresActions imposing penalties
- punitive damagesAward beyond actual losses
- punitive actionsConsequences meant to discipline