punitive
/'pju:nitiv/ Cách viết khác : (punitory) /'pju:nitəri/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Inflicting or intended as punishment: Relating to, involving, or aiming to impose a penalty or sanction for an offense or wrongdoing.
- Severely harsh: Extremely severe or costly, often to the point of being intended as a deterrent.
Usage
The adjective punitive is used to describe actions, measures, laws, or costs that are designed to punish. It is a formal term commonly found in legal, political, and economic contexts. It modifies nouns to indicate their punishing nature.
Examples
- Legal Context:
- The judge ordered the company to pay punitive damages for its reckless behavior.
- The new law introduced punitive tariffs on imported goods.
- General/Descriptive Context:
- The prison conditions were criticized as being excessively punitive.
- The government's response was seen as a punitive measure against the protesters.
Advanced Usage
- "Punitive expedition": A military campaign undertaken to punish a state or group for perceived aggression or wrongdoing.
- The 19th-century colonial power launched a punitive expedition against the rebellious tribe.
- "Punitive justice": A system or philosophy of justice focused on retribution and punishment rather than rehabilitation.
- Some argue that a system of punitive justice does little to reduce crime rates.
Variants and Related Words
- Punitory (adjective): A less common synonym for punitive.
- The actions taken were clearly punitory in nature.
- Punish (verb): To inflict a penalty on someone for an offense.
- Punishment (noun): The act of punishing or the penalty inflicted.
Synonyms
- Penal: Relating to legal punishment.
- Retributive: Involving punishment inflicted as vengeance for a wrong.
- Corrective: Intended to correct or discipline (can overlap, but often less severe).
Antonyms
- Remedial: Intended to correct or improve a situation, not to punish.
- Rehabilitative: Aimed at restoring to a normal life through training and therapy.
- Compensatory: Intended to compensate for loss or injury, not to punish the wrongdoer.
Related Phrases
- Punitive action: An act taken to punish.
- The threat of punitive action forced the company to comply with the regulations.
- Punitive tax: A tax imposed as a penalty or to discourage certain behavior.
- The proposed punitive tax on sugary drinks aims to improve public health.
Adjective
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inflicting punishment
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punitive justice
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punitive damages
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