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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Castigation

Castigation \Cas`ti*ga"tion\, n. [L. catigatio.]

  1. Corrective punishment; chastisement; reproof; pungent criticism.

    The keenest castigation of her slanderers.
    --W. Irving.

  2. Emendation; correction. [Obs.]

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
castigation

late 14c., castigacioun, from Latin castigationem (nominative castigatio) "a correcting, reproof, chastizing," noun of action from past participle stem of castigare (see castigate).

Wiktionary
castigation

n. 1 Corrective punishment; chastisement; reproof; pungent criticism. 2 (context obsolete English) emendation; correction.

WordNet
castigation
  1. n. a severe scolding [syn: earful, bawling out, chewing out, upbraiding, going-over, dressing down]

  2. verbal punishment [syn: chastisement]

Wikipedia
Castigation

Castigation (from the Latin castigatio) or chastisement (via the French châtiment) is the infliction of severe (moral or corporal) punishment. One who administers a castigation is a castigator or chastiser.

In earlier times, castigation specifically meant restoring one to a religiously pure state, called chastity. In ancient Rome, it was also a term for the magistrate called a censor (in the original sense, rather than the later politicized evolution), who castigated in the name of the pagan state religion but with the authority of the 'pious' state.

In Christian times, this terminology was adopted but roughly restricted to the physical sphere: chastity became a matter of approved sexual conduct, castigation usually meaning physical punishment, either as a form of penance, as a voluntary pious exercise (see mortification of the flesh) or as educational or other coercion, while the use for other (e.g. verbal) punishments (and criticism etc.) is now often perceived as metaphorical.

Self-castigation is applied by the repentant culprit to himself, for moral and/or religious reasons, notably as penance.

Usage examples of "castigation".

Violent, abusive as he was, unjust to any against whom he happened to have a prejudice, his castigation of the small litterateurs of that day was not harmful, but rather of use.

But his conclusion was ever the same: how could he forget that laugh of utter merriment and delight when she found it was indeed himself under the castigation of such a mighty beadle of literature!

Bairoth Gild was indulging himself, making regret and pity and castigation into sweet nectars, leaving him to wander like a tortured drunk.

Caddis was left reflecting, that we have, in the dispensations of Providence, when we have a seat, to submit to castigations from butcherly men unaccountably commissioned to solidify the seat.

Though our English admirers may not believe it, we see our own faults more clearly than we once did--thanks, partly, to the faithful castigations of our friends--and we sometimes find it difficult to conceal our blushes when we are over-praised.

Troeltsch prompt Wayne into making public castigations of his various peers and instructors.

He assigned penances, castigations, and pilgrimages, ordered marriages, compelled enemies to make up, and enjoyed the authority of a bishop.