Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
pen pal
pen point
pen pot
penal
penal code
penal colony
penal servitude
penalize
penalty
penalty area
penalty box
penalty kick
penalty rates
penalty shootout
penalty shot
penalty spot
penance
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "penalty" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

penalty

pen·al·ty [ pénn'ltee ] (plural pen·al·ties)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. punishment for crime: a legal or official punishment for committing a crime or other offense, e.g. a fine or imprisonment

2. punishment for breaking contract: a punishment, e.g. a fine, for failing to fulfill the terms of a legal agreement

3. unpleasant consequence: something unpleasant suffered as the result of an unwise action
paying the penalty of being too lenient

4. disadvantage for breaking rule: a disadvantage imposed on a player or team for breaking a rule in a sport or game, e.g. a free shot at the goal awarded to the opposing side

5. soccer 
Same as  penalty kick (sense 1)


6. goal from penalty: in soccer, a goal scored from a penalty

[15th century. < assumed Anglo-Norman variant of French pénalité< Latin poenalis (see penal)]
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft