penalize

P3E1N1A1L1I1Z10E1
UK, US/ˈpiː.nəl.aɪz/UK, US/ˈpɛn.əl.aɪz/

verb

To subject to a penalty, especially for the infringement of a rule or regulation.

Less commonScrabble 19

Meanings

verbpenalize (third-person singular simple present penalizes, present participle penalizing, simple past and past participle penalized)

present singular third person penalizes · participle present penalizing · participle past penalized · past penalized · alternative UK penalise

  1. transitiveTo subject to a penalty, especially for the infringement of a rule or regulation.

    Women should not be penalized or forced out of the workplace simply because they become pregnant. UPS, in fact, has come around to that position. It now offers light-duty accommodations to pregnant women who need them.

    2014 December 3, Editorial Board, “Supreme Court should affirm the rights of pregnant workers”, in The Los Angeles Times
    3 more examples

    Ready for another term? Try vindictive protectiveness. In essence, in the name of emotional wellbeing, students can eliminate anything they do not want to think about, read about, or be challenged about. And penalize those who would expose them to it. How? In the name of "offense".

    2017, James Emery White, Meet Generation Z

    But as Bumble’s head of public policy for the Americas, Mrs. Iheme, 43, has found a cause that synthesizes her past experiences, varied as they are. She is leading an effort across several states to pass legislation that penalizes “cyberflashing.”

    2022 June 13, Valeriya Safronova, “The Fight to End ‘Cyberflashing’”, in The New York Times

    In a joint move with several U.S. agencies, the State Department announced that it was penalizing 10 Iranians, including the three men, along with two entities for “conducting malicious cyberacts, including ransomware activity,” according to a statement.

    2022 September 14, Glenn Thrush, “U.S. Charges 3 Iranians in Broad Hacking Scheme”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: chastise, come down on, amerce, castigate, chasten, chastise, come down on, correct

  2. transitivehobbiesTo impose a handicap on.

Synonyms & antonyms

More synonyms by meaning

verbimpose a penalty on; inflict punishment on

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Bulgarian наказвам
  • наказвам (nakazvam)to subject to a penalty
Catalan penalitzar
  • penalitzarto subject to a penalty
Dutch straffen
  • straffento subject to a penalty
Finnish rangaista, rangaista
  • rangaistato subject to a penalty
  • rangaistato impose a handicap on
French pénaliser
  • pénaliserto subject to a penalty
German bestrafen
  • bestrafento subject to a penalty
Hungarian megbüntet
  • megbüntetto subject to a penalty
Irish pionósaigh
  • pionósaighto subject to a penalty
Italian penalizzare
  • penalizzareto impose a handicap on
Māori ngahi, ngawhi
  • ngahito subject to a penalty
  • ngawhito subject to a penalty
Norwegian straffe
  • straffeto subject to a penalty
Persian تنبیه کردن
  • تنبیه کردن (tanbih kardan)to subject to a penalty
Portuguese penalizar
  • penalizarto subject to a penalty
Russian штрафова́ть, нака́зывать
  • штрафова́ть (štrafovátʹ)to subject to a penalty
  • нака́зывать (nakázyvatʹ)to subject to a penalty
  • караться законом (karatʹsja zakonom)to subject to a penalty
  • штрафова́ть (štrafovátʹ)to impose a handicap on
  • накла́дывать штраф (nakládyvatʹ štraf)to impose a handicap on
Spanish penalizar, infligir un castigo
  • penalizarto subject to a penalty
  • infligir un castigoto impose a handicap on
Turkish cezalandırmak
  • cezalandırmakto subject to a penalty

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

penalize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penalize

MLA

“penalize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penalize. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “penalize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penalize.

Source: penalize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.