punitive damages

punitive damages
Damage Dam"age (d[a^]m"[asl]j; 48), n. [OF. damage, domage, F. dommage, fr. assumed LL. damnaticum, from L. damnum damage. See {Damn}.] 1. Injury or harm to person, property, or reputation; an inflicted loss of value; detriment; hurt; mischief. [1913 Webster]

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage. --Prov. xxvi. 6. [1913 Webster]

Great errors and absurdities many commit for want of a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage both of their fame and fortune. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

2. pl. (Law) The estimated reparation in money for detriment or injury sustained; a compensation, recompense, or satisfaction to one party, for a wrong or injury actually done to him by another. [1913 Webster]

Note: In common-law actions, the jury are the proper judges of damages. [1913 Webster]

{Consequential damage}. See under {Consequential}.

{Exemplary damages} (Law), damages imposed by way of example to others. Similar in purpose to {vindictive damages}, below.

{Nominal damages} (Law), those given for a violation of a right where no actual loss has accrued.

{vindictive damages} or {punitive damages}, those given specially for the punishment of the wrongdoer.

Syn: Mischief; injury; harm; hurt; detriment; evil; ill. See {Mischief}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Punitive damages — (termed exemplary damages in the United Kingdom) are damages not awarded in order to compensate the plaintiff, but in order to reform or deter the defendant and similar persons from pursuing a course of action such as that which damaged the… …   Wikipedia

  • punitive damages — see damage 2 Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. punitive damages …   Law dictionary

  • punitive damages — ➔ damage1 * * * punitive damages UK US noun [plural] also US punitives) LAW ► an amount of money that someone who commits a crime has to pay, that is intended to be large enough to prevent them or others from committing similar crimes in the… …   Financial and business terms

  • punitive damages — n. EXEMPLARY DAMAGES …   English World dictionary

  • Punitive damages — Im anglo amerikanischen Recht versteht man unter punitive damages Schadensersatz, der im Zivilprozess einem Kläger über den erlittenen tatsächlichen Schaden hinaus zuerkannt wird. In Deutschland hat sich dafür der Begriff Strafschadensersatz… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Punitive Damages — Legal recompense that is levied as punishment for a wrong or offense committed by the payor. Punitive damages are awarded by a court of law in a lawsuit. They are often required in order to make up for a perceived shortfall in compensatory… …   Investment dictionary

  • punitive damages — Damages which are allowed as an enhancement of compensatory damages because of the wanton, reckless, malicious, or oppressive character of the acts of which the plaintiff complains. 22 Am J2d Damg § 236. Damages awarded to punish the defendant… …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • punitive damages — noun (law) compensation in excess of actual damages (a form of punishment awarded in cases of malicious or willful misconduct) • Syn: ↑exemplary damages, ↑smart money • Topics: ↑law, ↑jurisprudence • Hypernyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • punitive damages — Law. damages awarded to a plaintiff in excess of compensatory damages in order to punish the defendant for a reckless or willful act. Also called exemplary damages. Cf. compensatory damages. [1970 75] * * * …   Universalium

  • punitive damages — pu′nitive dam′ages n. pl. law damages awarded a plaintiff in addition to compensatory damages in order to punish the defendant for a reckless or willful act • Etymology: 1970–75 …   From formal English to slang

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