Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[faith2k]

Dear Teachers,

What is the difference between penalize and punish?
Do we penalize someone only legally?

Thank you.

[educe22]

Penalty: the suffering in person, rights, or property that is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime or public offense
Penalty is what the person stands to lose if they commit the offense.

Penalize: to subject to a penalty, as a person. 2. to declare (an action, deed, etc.) punishable by law or rule.
Penalize is to declare that if a person commits the offense, they will be punished (suffer the penalty).

Punish: a. to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation b: to inflict a penalty for the commission of (an offense) in retribution or retaliation
Punishment is when the resultant penalty is imposed.

"Do we penalize someone only legally?"

For the most part, in following the law, we do. However, parents can penalize a child for improper behavior. Teams playing games such as soccer and football can be penalized for rules violations. People can be penalized by being ostracized for violating social "rules".
_________________
Educe22

[redset]

Punishing can also carry a feeling of revenge, to make someone regret an action. A penalty has a feeling of fairness - you've done something, so we're going to do this thing in response. You might not think the response is fair, but the idea is that when you break the rules, a penalty is imposed to put things right.

Punishment goes further - it's meant to hurt, or make your life difficult, much more than whatever you did when you broke the rules. The idea is that when you're punished, you really regret what you did, and you don't want to do it again. Other people want to avoid punishment so they're careful not to break the rules. Sometimes things are described as punishing too, a long and physically demanding race for example. Instead of someone putting you through that experience, you're doing it to yourself

[faith2k]

Dear Redset,

Are you saying "punishing" and "punishment" are different?

[redset]

Punishing is a form of the verb punish (as in 'she's punishing her child for not doing his homework'), and it's also an adjective - if something is punishing then it feels like you're being punished (in the race example, running so fast and for so long is tiring and painful and not very enjoyable, so it feels like a form of punishment).

Punishment is the noun form - when you punish someone they experience punishment. Sending someone to prison is a form of punishment. The prisoner is being punished for a crime. You could take a child's Playstation away as punishment for not doing his homework!