What does "penalty" mean?
Penalty: The suffering, or the sum to be forfeited, to which a person subjects himself by covenant or agreement, in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations; forfeiture; fine. The penalty and forfeit of my bond. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.A handicap. [Sporting Cant] Note: The term penalty is in law mostly applied to a pecuniary punishment. Bill of pains and penalties. See under Bill. -- On, or Under, penalty of, on pain of; with exposure to the penalty of, in case of transgression.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-penalty-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00