The Collaborative International Dictionary
Penalty \Pe"nal*ty\, n.; pl. Penalties. [F. p['e]nalit['e]. See Penal.]
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Penal retribution; punishment for crime or offense; the suffering in person or property which is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime, offense, or trespass.
Death is the penalty imposed.
--Milton. -
The suffering, or the sum to be forfeited, to which a person subjects himself by covenant or agreement, in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations; forfeiture; fine.
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.
--Shak. -
A handicap. [Sporting Cant]
Note: The term penalty is in law mostly applied to a pecuniary punishment.
Bill of pains and penalties. See under Bill.
On penalty of, or Under penalty of, on pain of; with exposure to the penalty of, in case of transgression.
Usage examples of "on penalty of".
If he wished to stand on pride, let him continue on penalty of extreme inconvenience.
He knew that it made it illegal, on penalty of instant deportation, for Empire men to enter, without permits, any portion of the planet outside the designated trade zones.
But regulations prohibited any exceptions on penalty of death by converter.
Edmond had told the footmen on guard to ignore anything Clarinda said or promised on penalty of a prompt discharge from service and the pain of a sound thrashing that he would administer personally.
Never had Norman of Torn laid violent hand upon a woman, and his cut-throat band were under oath to respect and protect the sex, on penalty of death.
Weapons could be worn but not used--on penalty of immediate death.