a punishment or other negative consequence given when someone breaks a law, rule, or agreement
If you pay your taxes late, you have to pay a penalty.
Students caught cheating face the penalty of suspension.
✦ Borrowed in the 16th century from Medieval Latin poenalitās, from Latin poena “punishment, penalty.”
in sports, an official punishment that gives the opposing team an advantage because a player or team has broken a rule
The referee signaled a penalty for the defender’s rough tackle.
The team lost yards because of an offside penalty.
✦ Extended from the general sense of punishment to sports in the late 19th century as modern rules were codified.
in soccer and similar sports, a free shot at goal taken from a set spot because the other team committed a foul in the penalty area
The striker stepped up to take the decisive penalty.
In stoppage time, a late penalty won the match.
✦ This sense grew out of soccer’s 1891 rule introducing the ‘penalty kick,’ soon shortened to ‘penalty.’
