Punitive

Pronunciation: /ˈpjuːnətɪv/

Definitions of punitive

adjective inflicting or intended as punishment

Example Sentences

A1 The teacher used a punitive approach to discipline the students.

A2 The company implemented punitive measures for employees who consistently arrived late.

B1 The government introduced punitive taxes on luxury goods.

B2 The new law includes punitive actions against companies found guilty of environmental violations.

C1 The punitive damages awarded to the plaintiff were meant to deter similar behavior in the future.

C2 The judge imposed a punitive sentence on the defendant for his repeated criminal offenses.

Examples of punitive in a Sentence

formal The judge imposed a punitive fine on the company for violating environmental regulations.

informal The teacher gave a punitive assignment to the students who were talking during class.

slang My parents are being so punitive by grounding me for a month.

figurative The punitive measures taken by the coach pushed the team to work harder and improve their performance.

Grammatical Forms of punitive

• past tense: punished
• plural: punitive
• comparative: more punitive
• superlative: most punitive
• present tense: punishes
• future tense: will punish
• perfect tense: has punished
• continuous tense: is punishing
• singular: punitive
• positive degree: punitive
• infinitive: to punish
• gerund: punishing
• participle: punishing

Origin and Evolution of punitive

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'punitive' originated from the Latin word 'punitivus', which is derived from the verb 'punire' meaning 'to punish'.

Evolution of the word: Initially used in the 15th century to refer to something related to punishment or intended as punishment, the meaning of 'punitive' has evolved to encompass actions or measures taken to enforce discipline or deter undesirable behavior.