Meaning of "punish" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PUNISH

Punisse, from Old French punir, from Latin pūnīre to punish, from poena penalty.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF PUNISH

punish  [ˈpʌnɪʃ]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PUNISH

Punish is a verb.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb punish in English.

WHAT DOES PUNISH MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Punishment

Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something undesirable or unpleasant upon an individual or group by law enforcement, in response to behaviour that an authority deems unacceptable or a violation of some norm. The unpleasant imposition may include a fine, penalty, or confinement, or be the removal or denial of something pleasant or desirable. The individual may be a person, or even an animal. The authority may be either a group or a single person, and punishment may be carried out formally under a system of law or informally in other kinds of social settings such as within a family. Negative consequences that are not authorised or that are administered without a breach of rules are not considered to be punishment as defined here. The study and practice of the punishment of crimes, particularly as it applies to imprisonment, is called penology, or, often in modern texts, corrections; in this context, the punishment process is euphemistically called "correctional process". Research into punishment often includes similar research into prevention.

Definition of punish in the English dictionary

The first definition of punish in the dictionary is to force to undergo a penalty or sanction, such as imprisonment, fines, death, etc, for some crime or misdemeanour. Other definition of punish is to inflict punishment for. Punish is also to use or treat harshly or roughly, esp as by overexertion.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO PUNISH

PRESENT

Present

I punish

you punish

he/she/it punishes

we punish

you punish

they punish

Present continuous

I am punishing

you are punishing

he/she/it is punishing

we are punishing

you are punishing

they are punishing

Present perfect

I have punished

you have punished

he/she/it has punished

we have punished

you have punished

they have punished

Present perfect continuous

I have been punishing

you have been punishing

he/she/it has been punishing

we have been punishing

you have been punishing

they have been punishing

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I punished

you punished

he/she/it punished

we punished

you punished

they punished

Past continuous

I was punishing

you were punishing

he/she/it was punishing

we were punishing

you were punishing

they were punishing

Past perfect

I had punished

you had punished

he/she/it had punished

we had punished

you had punished

they had punished

Past perfect continuous

I had been punishing

you had been punishing

he/she/it had been punishing

we had been punishing

you had been punishing

they had been punishing

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will punish

you will punish

he/she/it will punish

we will punish

you will punish

they will punish

Future continuous

I will be punishing

you will be punishing

he/she/it will be punishing

we will be punishing

you will be punishing

they will be punishing

Future perfect

I will have punished

you will have punished

he/she/it will have punished

we will have punished

you will have punished

they will have punished

Future perfect continuous

I will have been punishing

you will have been punishing

he/she/it will have been punishing

we will have been punishing

you will have been punishing

they will have been punishing

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would punish

you would punish

he/she/it would punish

we would punish

you would punish

they would punish

Conditional continuous

I would be punishing

you would be punishing

he/she/it would be punishing

we would be punishing

you would be punishing

they would be punishing

Conditional perfect

I would have punish

you would have punish

he/she/it would have punish

we would have punish

you would have punish

they would have punish

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been punishing

you would have been punishing

he/she/it would have been punishing

we would have been punishing

you would have been punishing

they would have been punishing

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you punish
we let´s punish
you punish

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to punish

Past participle

punished

Present Participle

punishing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «PUNISH»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «punish» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of punish

abuse · batter · beat · bring to book · cane · castigate · chasten · chastise · correct · discipline · flog · harm · hurt · injure · knock about · lash · manhandle · mistreat · misuse · oppress · penalize · rough up · scourge · sentence · throw the book at · whip

TRANSLATION OF PUNISH

Find out the translation of punish to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of punish from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «punish» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 惩罚
• Translator English - Spanish: castigar
• English: punish
• Translator English - Hindi: सज़ा
• Translator English - Arabic: يُعَاقِب
• Translator English - Russian: наказывать
• Translator English - Portuguese: punir
• Translator English - Bengali: শাস্তি
• Translator English - French: punir
• Translator English - Malay: Menghukum
• Translator English - German: bestrafen
• Translator English - Japanese: 罰する
• Translator English - Korean: 벌을 주다
• Translator English - Javanese: Ngukum
• Translator English - Vietnamese: phạt
• Translator English - Tamil: தண்டிக்க
• Translator English - Marathi: शिक्षा करणे
• Translator English - Turkish: cezalandırmak
• Translator English - Italian: punire
• Translator English - Polish: ukarać
• Translator English - Ukrainian: карати
• Translator English - Romanian: a pedepsi
• Translator English - Greek: τιμωρώ
• Translator English - Afrikaans: straf
• Translator English - Swedish: bestraffa
• Translator English - Norwegian: straffe

10 QUOTES WITH «PUNISH»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word punish.

1

Chris Adami

We found evolution will punish you if you're selfish and mean. For a short time and against a specific set of opponents, some selfish organisms may come out ahead. But selfishness isn't evolutionarily sustainable.

2

Walter Bagehot

So long as there are earnest believers in the world, they will always wish to punish opinions, even if their judgment tells them it is unwise and their conscience that it is wrong.

3

Robert Barclay

So the question is, First, Whether the civil magistrate hath power to force men in things religious to do contrary to their conscience, and if they will not to punish them in their goods, liberties, or lives? this we hold in the negative.

4

Jerry Brown

Prisons don't rehabilitate, they don't punish, they don't protect, so what the hell do they do?

5

Anselm of Canterbury

Spare me through your mercy, do not punish me through your justice.

6

Madonna Ciccone

We like to put people on a pedestal, give them one character trait, and if they step outside of that shrinelike area that we blocked out for them, then we will punish them.

7

Howard Coble

Finally, I do not believe that we should punish American families who have worked diligently to provide for themselves and want to pass along their success to their children and grandchildren.

8

Simon Cowell

When I was young and we got caught pinching apples, we got a smack from the local policeman. Today if that happened he would be sued. There is a tendency to punish the victim, not the criminal. If someone broke into my house or my mum's house, I worry that the burglar has more rights than me.

9

Clarence Darrow

The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business.

10

Robert Duncan

If the government is going to mandate levels and punish schools for failing, they should send that money to the school system.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PUNISH»

Discover the use of punish in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to punish and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison

In this brilliant work, the most influential philosopher since Sartre suggests that such vaunted reforms as the abolition of torture and the emergence of the modern penitentiary have merely shifted the focus of punishment from the prisoner ...

Michel Foucault, 2012

Why Punish? How Much?: A Reader on Punishment

This volume includes an accessible, non-technical introduction on the development of punishment theory, as well as an introduction and annotated bibliography for each section.

Michael H. Tonry, 2011

To Punish or Persuade: Enforcement of Coal Mine Safety

In To Punish or Persuade, John Braithwaite declares that coal mine disasters are usually the result of corporate crime.

John Braithwaite, 1985

Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison

In this brilliant work, the most influential philosopher since Sartre suggests that such vaunted reforms as the abolition of torture and the emergence of the modern penitentiary have merely shifted the focus of punishment from the prisoner ...

Michel Foucault, 1977

The Capacity to Punish: The Ecology of Crime and Punishment

Henry Pontell convincingly demonstrates that despite the expenditure of millions of dollars, the enactment of many new laws exacting harsher punishments, and the growth of a vast criminal justice system, America is losing its "war on crime.

Henry E. Pontell, Henry N. Pontell, 1985

Punish the Sinners

Is hysteria manipulating these innocent children into violent self-destruction? Or has supernatural force, a thirteenth-century madness, returned to... Punish The Sinners. From the Paperback edition.

John Saul, 2010

Punishment And Culture: A Right to Punish?

This volume critically explores the basis and the goal of punishment from the standpoint of the right to punish.

María José Falcón y Tella, Fernando Falcón y Tella, 2006

Punish and Critique: Towards a Feminist Analysis of Penality

Towards a Feminist Analysis of Penality Adrian Howe. history of the “micro- physics” of the punitive power' which will be simultaneously, 'a genealogy of the modern “soul”'. Why? Because the soul is 'the effect and instrument of a political ...

Adrian Howe, 2005

The Politics of Community Policing: Rearranging the Power to ...

Community policing, the author argues, does not necessarily empower the community but often increases the power of the police

William Lyons, 2002

Imaginary Crimes: Why We Punish Ourselves and How to Stop

"Imaginary Crimes" introduces us to a new approach to psychological healing never before presented in a book for the general public. Many previous readers have found this book a profound step on their road to psychological recovery.

Lewis Engel, 2004

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PUNISH»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term punish is used in the context of the following news items.

O'Reilly: 'Corrupt' media want to PUNISH 'fearless' Trump for 'not …

“So because of that approach the media believe they must punish Trump for being disrespectful and not cowering before them,” he added. “Plus, they don't like ... «BizPac Review, Jul 15»

Fox's O'Reilly: News media want to 'punish' Trump for 'not cowering'

So because of that approach, the media believe they must punish Mr. Trump for being disrespectful and not cowering before them. Plus, they don't like his ... «Washington Examiner, Jul 15»

Pranksters punish inconsiderate driver with Post-It Notes

Pranksters punish inconsiderate driver with Post-It Notes. 11:47 a.m. Monday, June 29, 2015 | Filed in: Nation. Comments 4 ... «Atlanta Journal Constitution, Jun 15»

That's Not Fair! Crime And Punishment In A Preschooler's Mind

The researchers also observed that the 3-year-olds did not seem eager to punish the bad puppets. When given only two options — to leave a stolen toy with a ... «NPR, Jun 15»

China to punish officials who interfere in judicial cases

BEIJING – China's top prosecutor will punish officials who attempt to interfere in court cases, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday, the latest move ... «The Japan Times, May 15»

Grandmother kills cat, kittens with hammer to punish kids, police say

GODFREY, Ill. —A 71-year-old Illinois woman faces a felony animal cruelty charge for allegedly killing a cat and four kittens to punish her grandchildren for not ... «WCVB Boston, May 15»

Police: Illinois Woman Killed Cats to Punish Grandchildren

A 71-year-old Illinois woman killed a cat and four kittens to punish her grandchildren for not cleaning their rooms, authorities say. Josephine E. Bell, of the ... «NBC Chicago, May 15»

Dayton: House GOP Should Punish Member For Prison Comment

Dayton says that remark was horrible. He called on House Republican leadership Wednesday to punish Newberger and to publicly disavow his comments. «CBS Local, Apr 15»

New Inquisition: Punish climate-change 'deniers'

“I wish there were a law you could punish them with. I don't think there is a law that you can punish those politicians under,” he said in a September 2014 ... «WND.com, Mar 15»

Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim: Punish me, not my players

At the time, the Orange did not look like a team that was worthy of an NCAA tournament bid, so the conventional wisdom held that the punishment was both ... «Washington Post, Feb 15»