Punishment

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/

Definitions

1. a penalty or consequence inflicted on someone for breaking rules or committing wrongdoing
2. suffering or hardship imposed as retribution for an offense or misbehavior
3. A penalty given to someone as a response to breaking laws or rules

Etymology: The English word "punishment" arrived by way of Old French, where "punissement" was formed from the verb "punir," meaning "to punish." English then added its own suffix, "-ment," to the verb "punish," the same ending found in words like "judgment" and "agreement." The verb itself came into French from Latin "punire," which is closely tied to "poena," the Latin word for penalty, a root that also gives English "penal" and "penalty." The more striking part is what English lost along the way. Before "punishment" took over, Old English had a native word, "wīte," that covered much the same ground. It survived in the sense of a penalty or a fine, and its relative "wite" meant "to blame" and "to reproach." Middle English speakers adopted the French-derived term instead, and it displaced "wīte" so thoroughly that the older word faded from everyday use while its Latin-based replacement became the normal way to speak of retribution.

Synonyms: penalty, discipline, consequence, retribution, sanction

Antonyms: reward, pardon, forgiveness