pen ‧ al ‧ ty W3 /ˈpenlti/ BrE AmE noun ( plural penalties ) [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: poenalitas , from Latin poenalis ; ⇨ ↑ penal ]
1 . a punishment for breaking a law, rule, or legal agreement:
No littering. Penalty $500.
Withdrawing the money early will result in a 10% penalty.
penalty for
The penalty for a first offense is a fine.
severe/stiff/heavy penalty
Drug dealers face severe penalties.
If he is convicted, he could receive the death penalty (=be killed as a punishment) .
2 . something bad that happens to you because of something you have done or because of the situation you are in
penalty of (doing) something
One of the penalties of being famous is the loss of privacy.
If you don’t do the job right, you will pay the penalty.
3 . a disadvantage in sports given to a player or team for breaking a rule:
Woodson received a penalty.
4 . a chance to kick the ball or hit the ↑ puck into the ↑ goal in a game of football, ↑ rugby , or ↑ ice hockey , given because the other team has broken a rule:
Townsend kicked a penalty (=in a rugby game) in the last minute.
Leeds were awarded a penalty.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + penalty
▪ a severe/stiff/heavy/tough/harsh penalty
There were calls for stiffer penalties for killers of police officers.
▪ the maximum penalty
The maximum penalty for the offence is now three years’ imprisonment.
▪ a financial penalty
Parents who fail to prevent their children committing crimes are to face heavy financial penalties.
▪ the death penalty (=the punishment of being killed)
If convicted, they face the death penalty.
■ verbs
▪ a crime carries a penalty
Murder carries a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.
▪ impose a penalty
Severe penalties are imposed for election fraud.
▪ face a penalty
He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 4)
■ verbs
▪ take a penalty (=in football or soccer)
Why did they let Jones take the penalty?
▪ kick a penalty (=in rugby)
Jon Bland kicked a penalty to make it 6–3.
▪ miss a penalty
He missed that penalty against France.
▪ score a penalty
Billy Dodds scored a penalty for Rangers after 55 minutes.
▪ award/give (a team) a penalty
The referee awarded Bradford a penalty in the final minute.
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THESAURUS
▪ punishment something that is done in order to punish someone, or the act of punishing them:
I don’t think they deserved such a severe punishment.
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The usual punishment is life in prison.
▪ sentence a punishment given by a judge in a court:
He was given a long prison sentence.
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They asked for the maximum sentence.
▪ fine an amount of money that you must pay as a punishment:
I got an £80 fine for speeding.
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There are heavy fines for drink-driving.
▪ penalty a general word for a punishment given to someone who has broken a law, rule, or agreement:
What’s the penalty if you get caught?
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He called for stiffer penalties for crimes involving guns.
▪ the death penalty ( also capital punishment ) the system in which people are killed as a punishment for crimes:
If he is found guilty, he faces the death penalty.
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A number of states have abolished capital punishment.
▪ community service unpaid work helping other people that someone does as punishment for a crime:
He was given a choice between doing 200 hours of community service, or a big fine.
▪ corporal punishment the punishment of children by hitting them:
I don’t agree with corporal punishment.
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Corporal punishment was abolished in schools in 1987.