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View synonyms for

punishment

[ puhn-ish-muhnt ]

noun

  1. the act of punishing. punishing.
  2. the fact of being punished, as for an offense or fault.
  3. a penalty inflicted for an offense, fault, etc.
  4. severe handling or treatment.


punishment

/ ˈʌɪʃəԳ /

noun

  1. a penalty or sanction given for any crime or offence
  2. the act of punishing or state of being punished
  3. informal.
    rough treatment
  4. psychol any aversive stimulus administered to an organism as part of training
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ԴDz·ܲi·Գ noun
  • v·ܲi·Գ noun
  • ·ܲi·Գ noun
  • ·ܲi·Գ adjective
  • ·ܲi·Գ noun
  • -ܲi·Գ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of punishment1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English punysshement, from Anglo-French punisement, Old French punissement; equivalent to punish + -ment
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Idioms and Phrases

see glutton for punishment .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Even their name is a reference to the IRA's chosen method of punishment for alleged drug dealers during the Troubles.

From

"Any use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime, and so do all forms of collective punishment," Volker Türk warned.

From

How did the world get to a place where the collective punishment of starvation is used as leverage to shape the terms of a ceasefire?

From

Mr Hampson and his family want more recognition and punishment for paternity fraud.

From

Human rights groups argue that Israel is using the aid blockade as a form of collective punishment and as political leverage in hostage release negotiations.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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punishingpunition