Definitions and Examples of penalty, fine, forfeit
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
A punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract.
Example
He had to pay a penalty for violating the traffic rules.
A sum of money imposed as a punishment for an offense or breach of law.
Example
The company was fined $10,000 for violating environmental regulations.
The loss or surrender of something as a penalty for wrongdoing.
Example
He had to forfeit his prize money for cheating in the competition.
Key Differences: penalty vs fine vs forfeit
- 1Penalty is a punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract.
- 2Fine is a sum of money imposed as a punishment for an offense or breach of law.
- 3Forfeit is the loss or surrender of something as a penalty for wrongdoing.
Effective Usage of penalty, fine, forfeit
- 1Legal Context: Use penalty, fine, and forfeit in legal contexts to describe the consequences of breaking the law.
- 2Sports Context: Use forfeit to describe a team's loss due to a violation of the rules.
- 3Financial Context: Use fine to describe a monetary penalty imposed by regulatory authorities.
Remember this!
The antonyms have distinct nuances: Penalty is a punishment for breaking a law, fine is a monetary punishment for an offense, and forfeit is the loss of something as a penalty for wrongdoing. Use these words in legal, sports, and financial contexts to describe the consequences of breaking the law, rules, or contracts.
