penalty phase

noun

The portion of some criminal trials that occurs after a guilty verdict has been rendered, in which the punishment for the crime is decided.

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Meanings

nounpenalty phase (plural penalty phases)

plural penalty phases

  1. The portion of some criminal trials that occurs after a guilty verdict has been rendered, in which the punishment for the crime is decided.
Cite this entry
APA

penalty phase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penalty%20phase

MLA

“penalty phase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penalty%20phase. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “penalty phase,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penalty%20phase.

Source: penalty phase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.