See Also: Penalty tax(finance)
Penalty tax(money)
penalty box(dictionary)
Penalty(money)
Penalty bid(finance)
penalty(dictionary)
penalty(dictionary)
In the penalty box(finance)
Penalty clause(finance)
Marriage penalty(finance)

penalty (iou)



penalty noun. L15.
[from unrecorded legal Anglo-Norman from Old & mod. French penalite PENALITY: see -TY1.]
a. A punishment imposed for breach of a law, rule, or contract; a loss or disadvantage of some kind, either prescribed by law for some offence, or agreed on in case of breach of contract; spec. a fine. L15.
Headlight Seven drivers..escaped without financial penalty, when they were convicted..by the town's magistrates. R. Christiansen An earthquake..saves two innocent young lovers from the death penalty exacted for adultery.
b. fig. A disadvantage or loss resulting from an action, quality, etc., esp. of one's own. M17.
F. Weldon I..discovered the penalties of success.
c. Sport. A disadvantage imposed on a competitor or a side, usu. in the form of an advantage given to the opponent(s), as punishment for a breach of rules, esp. a foul; spec. (the award of) a free kick at goal. Also, a handicap. L19.
Independent Two minutes from half-time Poole brought down Cross and the referee awarded a penalty.
d. Bridge. A number of points awarded to opponents on a declarer's failing to make a contract, or to a declarer on successfully making a doubled contract. E20.
Pain, suffering. rare. E16-M17.
Phrases: on penalty of, under penalty of under the threat of.
Attrib. & comb.: With ref. to an advantage given to an opponent as punishment for a foul etc., as penalty bully, penalty corner, penalty kick, penalty shot, penalty try, etc. Special combs., as penalty area: in front of the goal on esp. a football pitch, within which offences can incur the award of a penalty; penalty bench esp. in ice hockey, a bench in a penalty box for match officials and penalized players; penalty box esp. in ice hockey, an area of seating for players temporarily withdrawn from play as a penalty and for match officials; penalty card Bridge a card exposed illegally and which must be left face up until it can be legally played or picked up; penalty clause a clause in a contract stipulating a penalty for failure to fulfil any of its obligations; penalty double Bridge a double made to increase a score if an opponent's contract is defeated; penalty goal: scored as a result of a penalty; penalty killer Ice Hockey a player responsible for preventing the opposing side from scoring while his or her own team's strength is reduced through penalties; penalty killing the activity of a penalty killer; penalty line: marking a penalty area on a football pitch; penalty pass Bridge a pass of one's partner's take-out double, made with the intention of gaining a penalty; penalty point a point awarded or deducted as a punishment; spec. one imposed for a driving offence, such points being recorded cumulatively on a person's driving licence; penalty rate Austral. an increased rate of pay for overtime; penalty spot Sport the spot from which a penalty is taken.