Definition

1. Noun:
   • The infliction of physical pain or injury as a penalty for an offense or to enforce discipline: "Corporal punishment" refers to the deliberate application of physical force with the intention of causing a degree of pain or discomfort to correct or punish behavior. It is often distinguished from psychological or financial penalties.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The school banned all forms of corporal punishment, such as caning.
  • Many countries have outlawed corporal punishment for crimes, considering it cruel and unusual.
  • Debates continue about whether mild corporal punishment is an effective form of child discipline.

Advanced Usage

• "to administer corporal punishment": to formally carry out or apply physical punishment.
  • The principal had the authority to administer corporal punishment for serious infractions.
• "to be subject to corporal punishment": to be liable to receive physical punishment.
  • Soldiers in that era were frequently subject to corporal punishment for disobedience.

Variants and Related Words

• Corporal (adj): relating to the body. This is the root adjective from which the phrase derives.
  • He suffered both corporal and emotional harm.
• Punishment (n): the act of punishing; the penalty inflicted.
  • The punishment must fit the crime.

Synonyms

• Physical punishment: A direct synonym emphasizing the bodily nature of the penalty.
• Chastisement: Often implies physical punishment for the purpose of correction, though it can be non-physical.
• Beatings / Floggings / Caning: These are specific, severe types of corporal punishment.

Related Phrases

• Capital punishment: Punishment by death, distinguished from corporal punishment which is non-lethal.
  • The legal system moved from corporal to capital punishment for the most severe crimes.
• Cruel and unusual punishment: A legal phrase often used to argue against the acceptability of certain corporal punishments.
  • The court ruled that the method constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

Idioms

• "Spare the rod and spoil the child": A proverb (often cited in debates) suggesting that a failure to use physical punishment (the rod) will result in a poorly disciplined child. This idiom is directly associated with the concept of corporal punishment.
  • He believed in the old saying, "spare the rod and spoil the child," and used corporal punishment frequently.

Noun

1. the infliction of physical injury on someone convicted of committing a crime