punishment
/ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.34 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The act (action) or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent or teacher), especially when disappointed or dissatisfied with the behavior or actions of a child, student, or someone else being looked after.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "The naughty children were given a punishment by their teachers."
- "a light punishment"
- "a harsh punishment"
- "But officials here maintain that their methods do make a difference, and they follow it up with post-release programs. The aim of Bastoy is not to punish or seek revenge, Nilsen said. The only punishment is to take away the prisoner’s right to be a free member of society."
- "a vehicle that can take a lot of punishment"
Etymology
From Middle English punishement, from Old French punissement, from punir (“to punish”). Equivalent to punish + -ment. Displaced native Old English wīte.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *kʷey-, punishement, punissement