punitive Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective inflicting punishment
    punitory.
    • punitive justice
    • punitive damages

WordNet

Pu"ni*tive adjective
Definitions
  1. Of or pertaining to punishment; involving, awarding, or inflicting punishment; as, punitive law or justice.
    If death be punitive, so, likewise, is the necessity imposed upon man of toiling for his subsistence. I. Taylor.
    We shall dread a blow from the punitive hand. Bagehot.

Webster 1913