punitive
pronunciation
How to pronounce punitive in British English:
UK [ˈpju:nətɪv]
How to pronounce punitive in American English:
US [ˈpjunɪtɪv]
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- Adjective:
- inflicting punishment
Word Origin
- punitive (adj.)
- 1620s, "inflicting or involving punishment," from French punitif (16c.) or directly from Medieval Latin punitivus, from Latin punitus, past participle of punire "to punish, correct, chastise" (see punish).
Example
- 1. Still , he reckoned , less punitive approaches to drug users are gaining acceptance .
- 2. She is applying a clear , but not overly punitive consequence for the behavior and providing an opportunity for the child to try again tomorrow and succeed .
- 3. This is required to limit the problem of " moral hazard " but should not amount to an unduly punitive sanction as at the moment .
- 4. And my main grouse against the us " republican right " is that it gives competitive capitalism a bad name by associating it with religious intolerance , a chauvinistic foreign policy and a punitive tendency .