FindLaw Legal Dictionary
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term:
Penal
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penal adj
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1 : of, relating to, or being punishment [ sanctions]
2 : making one (as an offender) punishable [a offense]
;also
: criminal
3 : used as a place of confinement and punishment [a institution]
Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.