PENALTY

[noun]A penalty is a punishment, or the usual punishment, for doing something that is against a law.Those suspected of activities for which the penalty is less than two years' imprisonment will be tried in ordinary civilian courts. [C]The law carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. [C]They asked for the maximum penalty for hoax calls to be increased to one year. [C]The sign next to the lifebelt said 'Penalty for improper use £50'. [C]The protesters were told to clear the area around the building, on penalty of (= the punishment would be) arrest if they did not. [U]A penalty is also a type of punishment, often involving paying money, that is given to you if you break an agreement or do not follow rules.Currently, ticket holders pay a penalty equal to 25% of the ticket price when they change their flight plans. [C]There was a penalty clause which said you had to pay half the cost if you cancelled your booking.Will this change eliminate the higher premium penalty that people must pay if they join the insurance scheme later in life? [C]In sport, a penalty is an advantage given to a team/player when the other team/player breaks a rule.The referee awarded (= gave) a penalty/a penalty kick.Hysen handled the ball and conceded the penalty that gave Manchester United the lead.The goalkeeper raced from goal and beyond the penalty area/penalty box (= in football, the area marked with white lines in front of the goal) to clear the ball away.The game was decided by a penalty shoot-out (= in football, a way of deciding who will win a game in which both teams finished with the same number of goals, by each team taking turns to have a set number of kicks at the goal.)Bruce scored his 11th goal of the season from the penalty spot (= in football, the place marked with a white spot from which a penalty kick is taken).In ice hockey, a penalty box is an area where players must sit when they are given a penalty.