punitive damages

plural noun

Synonyms of punitive damages

: damages awarded in excess of compensation to the plaintiff to punish a defendant for a serious wrong

Examples of punitive damages in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The wrongful death action is seeking more than $15,000 in money and punitive damages. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026 The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages and punitive damages. — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for Jacks to cover previous and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent impairment and loss of enjoyment of life. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 The lawsuit does not ask for any compensatory or punitive damages from OpenAI, requesting only attorneys’ fees. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punitive damages

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of punitive damages was in 1858

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Browse Nearby Words

punitive

punitive damages

punitory

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

punitive damages

punitive damages

plural noun

Examples of punitive damages in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Legal Definition

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