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penalty
noun [C] /ˈpen·əl·ti/Definition
› a punishment, esp. the usual one, for breaking a law: Repeat offenders should face stiff/tough penalties. › A penalty is also a type of punishment for breaking an agreement or not following rules: If you pay off the loan early, they’ll charge an extra month’s interest as a prepayment penalty. When a football team gives up 143 yards in penalties, they deserve to lose.
(Definition of penalty noun from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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