Meaning & use
penalty
A punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract, or a disadvantage given in a game.
See it in a sentence
The court imposed a heavy penalty on the company for dumping waste into the river.
The defender's foul inside the box gave the opposing team a penalty kick.
A note on using this word
In sport, penalty often means a specific free shot awarded after a foul, distinct from its general legal sense.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
A financial charge added for late payment or failure to meet a condition.
Paying the credit card bill late added a twenty-dollar penalty to her balance.
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