Added 9 October 2026
penalty
/ˈpɛn.əl.ti/ noun
In Latin: pēna, poena, multa Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about penalty at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The act of punishing.
- A payment required for not fulfilling a contract.
-
The disadvantage or painful consequences of an action or condition.
neglected his health and paid the penalty
Origin
From Middle French pénalité, from pénal, from Latin poenālis, from poena, borrowing of Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ), from Proto-Hellenic *kʷoinā́, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoynéh₂, comprising *kʷey- + *-néh₂.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)