punitive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The jurors were simply trying to determine the amount of punitive damages when the settlement was announced.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
He added that education, rather than "punitive punishment", is the solution to children displaying discriminatory behaviour where it comes from a "lack of understanding and without intention to offend".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
To your point: This rather punitive tax structure encourages grantors — again, that’s you — to distribute income to beneficiaries rather than retain that income, which is then compressed into higher tax brackets.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
“Being punitive in this environment is a scary thing, and unnecessary and unbecoming of a mayor who should be bringing people together.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
She was holding to her chest a doll with yellow hair that looked as if it had been chopped, as a punitive measure, with a pair of dull scissors.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Vocabulary lists containing punitive
This Week in Words: September 15 - 21, 2018
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Just Mercy
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Auggie & Me
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