punitive damages

plural noun

Synonyms of punitive damagesnext
: 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.
Chand seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in the suit filed July 10. — City News Service, Daily News, 27 July 2026 In a nine-page complaint obtained by EW at the time, the newspaper sought both compensatory and punitive damages to cover approximately $150,000 in costs of defending the defamation claims. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026 Dillon is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for violations of her rights protected by the Fourth and 14th Amendments. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard, while Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 23 July 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

Browse Nearby Words

punitive
punitive damages
punitory
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punitive damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punitive%20damages. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Legal Definition

punitive damages

see also:
damage sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on punitive damages

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for punitive damages

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