punishable

punishable — adjective

1. describes a crime or action that the law considers wrong, and for which a person

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a crime or action that the law considers wrong, and for which a person may face a penalty such as a fine or time in prison.

Example

In Singapore, vandalism is a punishable offence that can result in a fine or prison.

collocation: punishable offence

Ryo was warned that his actions were punishable under the new data protection rules.

pattern: punishable under [law/rule]

Common collocations
  • punishable offence
  • punishable act
  • punishable crime
  • punishable by death
  • punishable by law
  • punishable under federal law
Synonyms
  • illegal

    broader term — something illegal is against the law, but not every illegal act is specifically a punishable offence carrying a defined penalty

  • criminal

    implies that the act is a crime (a serious offence), whereas punishable can also apply to lesser statutory violations

  • actionable

    specifically means grounds for a civil lawsuit, not criminal punishment; a narrower legal term

Antonyms
  • immune

    not subject to punishment; typically used for diplomats or specific legal exemptions

  • permissible

    allowed by law, therefore not punishable

Grammar Patterns

be + punishable

be + punishable + by + [penalty]

be + punishable + under + [law/rule]

punishable + offence/crime/act

Common Mistakes

Stealing is punishable of three years in prison.
Stealing is punishable by up to three years in prison.
the correct preposition is 'by' for penalties, not 'of'.
He did a punishable mistake.
He made a punishable mistake.
'punishable' is an adjective that modifies the crime/act, not the person; use 'make a mistake' not 'do a mistake'.

Word family

  • punish
    verbB1
  • punishment
    nounB1
  • punishing
    adjectiveB2
  • unpunished
    adjectiveB2
  • punitive
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four terms all describe conduct that the law does not allow, but they differ in scope and context. 'Illegal' is the broadest — it covers any act forbidden by law, from parking violations to murder. 'Criminal' is narrower: it refers specifically to acts that are offences against the state, such as theft or assault, and that can lead to prosecution. 'Punishable' adds a focus on the consequence: an act is punishable if a specific penalty (a fine, prison time, etc.) is prescribed for it. 'Actionable' belongs to civil law — it describes conduct that gives someone grounds to sue for damages, not conduct that leads to criminal punishment. For example, breaking a contract is actionable (you can be sued) but not usually a criminal offence; driving without a licence is illegal and may be punishable by a fine, but is not considered a criminal act in most jurisdictions.

punishableillegalcriminalactionable

Common collocations

Nouns

  • offence
  • act
  • crime
  • conduct
  • behaviour

Adverbs

  • criminally
  • legally
  • severely

Phrases

  • punishable by law
  • punishable by death
  • punishable by imprisonment
  • punishable by a fine

Prepositions

  • by
  • under
  • with

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From the verb 'punish' (meaning to make someone pay for a wrongdoing) combined with the suffix '-able' (meaning 'able to be'). The word entered English through Old French 'punissable', which itself came from Latin 'punire' (to inflict a penalty).