punitive
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punitive
- /ˈpju.nɪ.tɪv/
Where it comes from
From Middle French punitif, from Medieval Latin pūnitīvus, from pūniō (“to punish”).
adjective more punitive · most punitive
-
Inflicting punishment; punishing.
Beijing imposed punitive sanctions on Canada.
Similar: castigatory, punitory, punishmental, punitive, vindicatory, vindictive
Opposite: nonpunitive, unpunitive
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: punitory, penal, correctional, penitentiary, punish, punishable, punishment, disciplinary, retaliatory, coercive, criminal, deterrent, repressive, suppressive, disincentive, dissuasive
adjective
Opposite: nonpunitive, unpunitive
Translations
Talk about this word "punitive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/punitive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. punitive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/punitive "punitive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/punitive.Cite this
@misc{punitive_2026,
title = {punitive},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/punitive},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
