penalty
//ˈpɛn.əl.ti//
Forms
- Plural
- penalties
Definitions
1.A legal sentence.
- The penalty for his crime was to do hard labor.
2.A punishment for violating rules of procedure.
3.A payment forfeited for an early withdrawal from an account or an investment.
4.In sports:
- A penalty was called when he tripped up his opponent.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2727
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Etymology
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.