Reprimanded

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Receiving a formal rebuke for inappropriate actions or behavior
2. Experiencing disciplinary criticism for a transgression or misconduct
3. To be formally told that one's behavior was wrong or unacceptable by an authority figure

Etymology: "Reprimanded" is the past tense and past participle of "reprimand," so the real story belongs to the noun. That noun came into English from French "réprimande," which in turn derives from "réprimer," meaning "to repress." The underlying sense is one of holding something back or pressing it down, and a reprimand is, in effect, a way of pressing a person's conduct back into line. The French verb is built from Latin "reprimere," a compound of "re-" (back, again) and "premere" (to press), the same "press" that appears in words like "compress" and "pressure." So the word that now means a sharp verbal rebuke began as a physical image of pushing something down or back.

Synonyms: scolded, rebuked, chastised

Antonyms: praised, commended