'Penalty' definitions:
Definition of 'penalty'
From: WordNet
noun
noun
A payment required for not fulfilling a contract
noun
The disadvantage or painful consequences of an action or condition; "neglected his health and paid the penalty" [ant: advantage, reward]
noun
(games) a handicap or disadvantage that is imposed on a competitor (or a team) for an infraction of the rules of the game
Definition of 'Penalty'
From: GCIDE
- Penalty \Pe"nal*ty\, n.; pl. Penalties. [F. p['e]nalit['e]. See Penal.]
- 1. Penal retribution; punishment for crime or offense; the suffering in person or property which is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime, offense, or trespass. [1913 Webster]
- Death is the penalty imposed. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 2. The suffering, or the sum to be forfeited, to which a person subjects himself by covenant or agreement, in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations; forfeiture; fine. [1913 Webster]
- The penalty and forfeit of my bond. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 3. A handicap. [Sporting Cant] [1913 Webster]
- Note: The term penalty is in law mostly applied to a pecuniary punishment. [1913 Webster]
- Bill of pains and penalties. See under Bill.
- On penalty of, or Under penalty of, on pain of; with exposure to the penalty of, in case of transgression. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'penalty'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abatement,
- acquittal,
- agio,
- allowance,
- amercement,
- bank discount,
- breakage,
- burden,
- burthen,
- cargo,
- cash discount,
- castigation,
- chain discount,
- charge,
- charge-off,
- chastening,
- chastisement,
- concession,
- condemnation,
- condign punishment,
- correction,
- cross,
- cumbrance,
- cut,
- deadweight,
- decision,
- deduction,
- depreciation,
- deserts,
- difficulty,
- disadvantage,
- disciplinary measures,
- discipline,
- discount,
- drawback,
- embarrassment,
- encumbrance,
- ferule,
- fine,
- forfeit,
- freight,
- hamper,
- handicap,
- impediment,
- impedimenta,
- imposition,
- imprisonment,
- incarceration,
- inconvenience,
- infliction,
- judgment,
- judicial punishment,
- kickback,
- landmark decision,
- load,
- lumber,
- mulct,
- nemesis,
- onus,
- pack,
- pains,
- pains and punishments,
- pay,
- payment,
- penal retribution,
- penalty clause,
- penance,
- penology,
- percentage,
- premium,
- price,
- price reduction,
- price-cut,
- punishment,
- punition,
- rebate,
- rebatement,
- reduction,
- refund,
- retribution,
- retributive justice,
- rollback,
- salvage,
- scourge,
- sentence,
- setoff,
- tare,
- time discount,
- trade discount,
- tret,
- trouble,
- underselling,
- verdict,
- weight,
- well-deserved punishment,
- what-for,
- white elephant,
- write-off