Penalty Meaning
/ˈpɛn.əl.ti/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA legal sentence.
nounA punishment for violating rules of procedure.
Sentence Examples
We should do away with the death penalty.
The penalty for spitting is five pounds.
This party would bitterly oppose the re-introduction of the death penalty.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The player received a harsh ____ for punching the opponent.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The player missed the crucial ____ kick in the final minute, and the match ended in a draw.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French pénalité, from pénal, from Latin poenālis, from poena, borrowing of Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ), from Proto-Hellenic *kʷoinā́, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoynéh₂, comprising *kʷey- + *-néh₂.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Was it so irreconcilable, Warwick wondered, as still to peal out the curfew bell, which at nine o'clock at night had clamorously warned all negroes, slave or free, that it was unlawful for them to be abroad after that hour, under penalty of imprisonment or whipping?"
— 1900, Charles W[addell] Chesnutt, chapter I, in The House Behind the Cedars, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC:
""But you, my noble, my generous girl!" exclaimed Lord Avonleigh, "I dare not let you pay the penalty of my former folly.""
— 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 126:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The player received a harsh ____ for punching the opponent.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The player missed the crucial ____ kick in the final minute, and the match ended in a draw.