Adjacent Words

Penal definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PE'NAL, a. [L. poena; Gr. pain, punishment. See Pain.]
1. Enacting punishment; denouncing the punishment of offenses; as a penal law or statute; the penal code. Penal statutes must be construed strictly.
2. Inflicting punishment.
Adamantine chains and penal fire.
3. Incurring punishment; subject to a penalty; as a penal act of offense.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of or relating to punishment; "penal reform"; "penal code"
2: serving as or designed to impose punishment; "penal servitude"
3: subject to punishment by law; "a penal offense" [syn: penal, punishable]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin poenalis, from poena punishment — more at pain Date: 15th century 1. of, relating to, or involving punishment, penalties, or punitive institutions 2. liable to punishment <a penal offense> 3. used as a place of confinement and punishment <a penal colony> • penally adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 a of or concerning punishment or its infliction (penal laws; a penal sentence; a penal colony). b (of an offence) punishable, esp. by law. 2 extremely severe (penal taxation). Phrases and idioms: penal servitude hist. imprisonment with compulsory labour. Derivatives: penally adv. Etymology: ME f. OF penal or L poenalis f. poena PAIN

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Penal Pe"nal, a. [L. poenalis, fr. poena punishment: cf. F. p['e]nal. See Pain.] Of or pertaining to punishment, to penalties, or to crimes and offenses; pertaining to criminal jurisprudence: as: (a) Enacting or threatening punishment; as, a penal statue; the penal code. (b) Incurring punishment; subject to a penalty; as, a penalact of offense. (c) Inflicted as punishment; used as a means of punishment; as, a penal colony or settlement. ``Adamantine chains and penal fire.'' --Milton. Penal code (Law), a code of laws concerning crimes and offenses and their punishment. Penal laws, Penal statutes (Law), laws prohibited certain acts, and imposing penalties for committing them. Penal servitude, imprisonment with hard labor, in a prison, in lieu of transportation. [Great Brit.] Penal suit, Penal action (Law), a suit for penalties.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Penal means relating to the punishment of criminals. ...director-general of penal affairs at the justice ministry. ...penal and legal systems. ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. A penal institution or colony is one where criminals are kept as punishment. ...imprisoned on an island that has served as a penal colony since Roman times. ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Punitive.