penal

[peen-l] /ˈpin l/
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or involving punishment, as for crimes or offenses.
2.
prescribing punishment:
penal laws.
3.
constituting punishment:
He survived the years of penal hardship.
4.
used as a place of confinement and punishment:
a penal colony.
5.
subject to or incurring punishment:
a penal offense.
6.
payable or forfeitable as a penalty:
a penal sum.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English < Latin poenālis, equivalent to poen(a) penalty (< Greek poinḗ fine) + -ālis -al1
Related forms
penality
[pi-nal-i-tee] /pɪˈnæl ɪ ti/ (Show IPA), noun
penally, adverb
nonpenal, adjective
unpenal, adjective
unpenally, adverb
Can be confused
penal, penological, punitive.
penal, penile.
Examples from the web for penal
  • The penal code is codified in a hardcover book that was kept at the ministry.
  • Last year the government gave the nod to a workshop that looked into changing the penal code.
  • Every week, on average, a new jail or prison is built to lock up more people in the world's largest penal system.
  • But it is quite something for a department to be accused of having a penal policy that is both too tough and too lenient.
  • Productive work is recognized and encouraged as a key element in every rehabilitative penal program.
  • Another incitement to the adoption of a new penal system is the awakening to the cruel ravages of consumption in the jails.
  • The isolation and severe climate well suited the penal needs of an authoritarian state ruled by a czar.
  • He's yelling and they're yelling and he's saying something about penal codes being violated.
  • No strained arguments about deterrence will account for the long and wide acceptance of penal killing.
  • The only white inmate in the penal system, he claims, he has been on trial for almost two years.
British Dictionary definitions for penal

penal

/ˈpiːnəl/
adjective
1.
of, relating to, constituting, or prescribing punishment
2.
payable as a penalty: a penal sum
3.
used or designated as a place of punishment: a penal institution
Derived Forms
penally, adverb
Word Origin
C15: from Late Latin poenālis concerning punishment, from poena penalty
Word Origin and History for penal
adj.

"pertaining to punishment," mid-15c., from Old French peinal (12c., Modern French pénal) and directly from Medieval Latin penalis, from Latin poenalis "pertaining to punishment," from poena "punishment," from Greek poine "blood-money, fine, penalty, punishment," from PIE *kwoina, from root *kwei- "to pay, atone, compensate" (cf. Greek time "price, worth, honor, esteem, respect," tinein "to pay a price, punish, take vengeance;" Sanskrit cinoti "observes, notes;" Avestan kaena "punishment, vengeance;" Old Church Slavonic cena "honor, price;" Lithuanian kaina "value, price").