- a punishment for breaking a law, rule or contract
- to impose a penalty
- Assault carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
- penalty for (doing) something The penalty for travelling without a ticket is £200.
- Contractors who fall behind schedule incur heavy financial penalties.
- Harsher penalties are being imposed for crimes involving firearms.
- a penalty clause in a contract
- without penalty You can withdraw money from the account at any time without penalty.
- on penalty of something The Romans prohibited the teaching of the Torah on penalty of death.
Extra ExamplesTopics Crime and punishmentb2, Moneyb2- He threatened stiffer penalties on young offenders.
- He was seeking financial penalties against the company.
- Some lenders charge heavy penalties for early settlement.
- The legislation sanctions harsh mandatory penalties for weapons possession.
- The penalty handed down was disproportionate to the crime committed.
- There are redemption penalties if you pay off the mortgage early.
- These crimes carried with them the ultimate penalty of execution.
- They made him promise, under penalty of death.
- You must accept the penalty for your rash actions.
- crimes which carry severe penalties
- the heavy financial penalties of paying off the loan early
- the penalty for murder
- They deserve to face severe penalties.
- The application should be signed under penalty of perjury.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- harsh
- heavy
- hefty
- …
- impose
- introduce
- levy
- …
- fee
- notice
- ticket
- …
- on penalty of
- under penalty of
- penalty for
- …
- penalty (of something) a disadvantage suffered as a result of something
- One of the penalties of fame is loss of privacy.
Extra Examples- It's just one of the penalties of fame.
- People who lose their jobs are suffering the penalties for longer periods.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + penalty- pay
- suffer
- accept
- …
- penalty for
- penalty of
- (in sports and games) a disadvantage given to a player or a team when they break a rule
- He incurred a ten-second penalty in the first round.
- (in football (soccer) and some other similar sports) a chance to score a goal or point without any defending players, except the goalkeeper, trying to stop it; the goal or point that is given if it is successful. This chance is given because the other team has broken the rules.
- Two minutes later Ford equalized with a penalty.
- We were awarded a penalty after a late tackle.
- I volunteered to take the penalty (= be the person who tries to score the goal/point).
- He missed a penalty in the last minute of the game.
Extra ExamplesTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsc1- They won, thanks to a late penalty from Fry.
- We were unlucky not to get a penalty.
- They were leading until Rice gave away a penalty.
- Ricketts netted his third penalty of the season to put his team ahead.
- Kane scored from a first-half penalty.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- controversial
- disputed
- dodgy
- …
- award (somebody)
- give (somebody)
- concede
- …
- area
- box
- corner
- …
- penalty by
- penalty from
Word Originearly 16th cent.: probably via Anglo-Norman French, from medieval Latin poenalitas, based on poena ‘pain’.
Idioms
See penalty in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee penalty in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishpay the/a penalty/price (for something/for doing something)
- to suffer because of bad luck, a mistake or something you have done
- He looked terrible this morning. I think he's paying the penalty for all those late nights.
- They're now paying the price for past mistakes.
- She thinks that any inconvenience is a price worth paying for living in such a beautiful place.
Extra Examples- He's now paying the penalty for his misspent youth.
- If Mac had killed Caroline, then he was going to make him pay the price.
Check pronunciation:
penalty