penal

penal — adjective

1. connected with punishment in the legal system, or describing acts the law can pu

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

connected with punishment in the legal system, or describing acts the law can punish.

Example

The judge explained the penal code to the new court clerks.

collocation: penal code

Britain once sent prisoners to a penal colony in Australia.

historical collocation: penal colony

Common collocations
  • penal code
  • penal system
  • penal institution
  • penal colony
  • penal offence
Synonyms
  • punitive

    stresses an intention to punish, not simply a link to the legal system

  • criminal

    usually relates to crime or criminals more broadly, not specifically to punishment

  • correctional

    is used mainly for prisons and rehabilitation services

Grammar Patterns

penal code / system / institution

penal offence

Usage Note

Usually placed before a noun, especially in legal phrases such as penal code, penal system, and penal institution. It can also describe an act or offence that the law treats as punishable.

Common Mistakes

He paid a penal for speeding.
He paid a penalty for speeding.
penal is an adjective; penalty is the noun for the punishment or fine.

2. making a situation worse for someone, often by adding an extra cost or burden.

2.adjectiveC2
Definition

making a situation worse for someone, often by adding an extra cost or burden.

Example

The bank charged a penal rate after Mia missed two payments.

collocation: penal rate

Late delivery brought a penal charge under the school lunch contract.

collocation: penal charge

Common collocations
  • penal rate
  • penal charge
  • penal costs
  • penal effect
  • penal clause
Synonyms
  • harsh

    is the broader everyday word for something severe or difficult

  • damaging

    focuses on harm in general, not specifically an extra charge or rule

  • disadvantageous

    is formal and stresses putting someone in a weaker position

Antonyms
  • beneficial

    means helpful or producing an advantage

  • favorable

    means giving better conditions instead of a burden

Grammar Patterns

penal rate / charge / cost

penal effect on

Usage Note

Mostly found before nouns in formal business, legal, or policy writing, especially with words like rate, charge, cost, and clause. Distinguish it from adjective/1: this sense describes an extra burden or disadvantage, not criminal punishment.

Common Mistakes

The bank gave us a penal after one late payment.
The bank charged us a penal rate after one late payment.
in this sense, penal usually describes a fee, rate, or charge; it is not a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Penal is a formal adjective mostly used in legal or policy language. It points to punishment as part of a system, so penal code, penal reform, and penal institution are typical uses. Punitive is closer to meaning meant to punish, and it often suggests severity or an effort to stop future bad behavior. Criminal usually connects with crime, criminals, or criminal law, not with punishment itself. Disciplinary is used for punishment inside schools, workplaces, or sports bodies, outside the court system. A prison officer may work in a penal institution, a court may award punitive damages, and a teacher may take disciplinary action against a student.

penal ↗punitivecriminal ↗disciplinary ↗

Etymology

GreekLatinLate LatinFrenchEnglish

Penal entered English through French and Late Latin words built on the Latin noun poena, meaning punishment or penalty. The same word family also produced penalty and penalize. Farther back, Latin poena came from Greek poinē, a word for a payment or punishment for a wrong.