WordLens

penalize

1 of 1verb
/ˈpinəˌlaɪz/
Forms:penalizes,penalizing,penalized,penalized
1

to impose a punishment on someone for a wrongdoing or violation

transitive
  • The school may penalize students for plagiarism by giving them a lower grade.
  • Governments often penalize individuals who violate traffic laws with fines or other consequences.
  • Companies may penalize employees for breaching ethical standards through disciplinary actions.
  • The court unexpectedly penalized the defendant for financial fraud.
  • By the end of the day, the school will have hopefully penalized those who cheated on the exam.
Synonyms: