PUNITIVE DAMAGES

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does punitive damages mean? 

• PUNITIVE DAMAGES (noun)
  The noun PUNITIVE DAMAGES has 1 sense:

1. (law) compensation in excess of actual damages (a form of punishment awarded in cases of malicious or willful misconduct)

  Familiarity information: PUNITIVE DAMAGES used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PUNITIVE DAMAGES (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(law) compensation in excess of actual damages (a form of punishment awarded in cases of malicious or willful misconduct)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

exemplary damages; punitive damages; smart money

Hypernyms ("punitive damages" is a kind of...):

amends; damages; indemnification; indemnity; redress; restitution (a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "punitive damages"):

double damages (twice the amount that a court would normally find the injured party entitled to)

treble damages (three times the amount that a court would normally find the injured party entitled to)