Punitive
/ˈpjuːnɪtɪv/noun
Intended as punishment or to punish.
Did you know?Punitive comes from Latin poena, the same root behind words for penalty and penance, showing how law, guilt, and ritual atonement were once tightly linked.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kwei-
“to pay, compensate, or make amends”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ποινή (poinḗ)
“a penalty, recompense, or price paid for blood-guilt”
Classical Latin
Latin
poena
“punishment, penalty, suffering”
Late Latin
Latin
punitivus
“serving to punish”
14th Century
English
punitive
“relating to punishment or intended to punish”
Modern English
English
punitive
“intended as punishment or to punish”