penalty
PEN-uhl-tee
/ˈpɛnəlti/
A punishment or disadvantage imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract.
Can refer to a physical disadvantage in a game (like a penalty kick) or a financial/legal punishment in business.
The story behind the word. The word comes from the Latin 'poena', meaning pain or punishment. This root is also the source of our words 'pain' and 'penitentiary', showing the historical link between physical suffering and legal punishment.
Word relationships
- punishment: Punishment is a broad term for any negative consequence imposed for wrongdoing, while penalty is more formal and tied to specific rules or laws.
- fine: A fine is specifically a financial penalty, whereas a penalty can be physical, temporal, or strategic.
- reward: A reward is a positive benefit given for good behavior or achievement.
- incentive: An incentive is a motivating influence designed to encourage positive action.
Commonly confused with
- penance: Penance is a voluntary act of self-punishment to show repentance, while a penalty is an involuntary punishment imposed by an authority.
Word family
- penalize (verb): To subject someone to a penalty or disadvantage.
- penal (adjective): Relating to or prescribing the punishment of offenders.
Collocations
- award a penalty
- penalty kick
- severe penalty
- pay a penalty
Idioms & expressions
- under penalty of (subject to the punishment of)
Example sentences
- "The referee awarded a penalty kick after the defender committed a handball inside the penalty area." Soccer match play
- "The team faced a severe financial penalty for violating the league's salary cap rules." Financial regulations
Memory hook
A penalty causes 'pain' (p-enalty) to the team that broke the rules. Pain for breaking rules.
When not to use
Do not use when referring to natural consequences of actions (e.g., 'the penalty of staying up late is being tired' is informal; use 'consequence' or 'toll' instead).
Fun facts
- The penalty kick was invented in 1890 by William McCrum, a goalkeeper from Northern Ireland who was tired of defenders deliberately tripping attackers near the goal.
Related words
Also appears in
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