Definition of PENAL

penal

Adjective

  • Relating to punishment or penalties.
  • of or relating to punishment
    • "penal reform"
    • "penal code"

Adjective Satellite

  • serving as or designed to impose punishment
    • "penal servitude"
  • subject to punishment by law
    • "a penal offense"

Adj

  • Of or relating to punishment.
  • Subject to punishment; punishable.
  • Serving as a place of punishment.
  • Exorbitant.

Examples

  • a penal colony
  • a penal offence
  • a penal rate of interest.
  • penal servitude
  • The Scrabble penalty for an invalid word seemed quite penal.

Origin / Etymology

From Old French peinal, from Medieval Latin penalis, from Latin poenalis, from poena (“punishment”), from Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ, “punishment”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoynéh₂.

Synonyms

punishable

Scrabble Score: 7

penal: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
penal: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
penal: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

penal: valid Words With Friends Word