punishment

noun

The act (action) or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent or teacher), especially when disappointed or dissatisfied with the behavior or actions of a child, student, or someone else being looked after.

A penalty to punish wrongdoing, especially for crime.

A suffering by pain or loss imposed as retribution.

(figuratively) Any harsh treatment or experience; rough handling.

Roots

poenapun- · Latin · penalty, punishment

Synonyms for punishment

penalizationn penaltyn chastisementn retributionn castigationn comeuppancen sentencingv spankingadj caningn scourgingn imprisonmentn discipliningv floggingn amercementn

Synonyms & related words for punishment

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of punishment — including penalization, penalty, chastisement, retribution, castigation, comeuppance. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to punishment

Explore words related to punishment — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include punished, nonpunishable, nondisciplinary, amercing, punishing, punishes, punitive, punishable. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for punishment

Common synonyms for punishment include penalization, penalty, chastisement, retribution, castigation, comeuppance, sentencing, spanking — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does punishment come from?

The word punishment breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root pun-, from Latin poena (“penalty, punishment”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.