[peen-l] 
| 1. | of, pertaining to, or involving punishment, as for crimes or offenses. |
| 2. | prescribing punishment: penal laws. |
| 3. | constituting punishment: He survived the years of penal hardship. |
| 4. | used as a place of confinement and punishment: a penal colony. |
| 5. | subject to or incurring punishment: a penal offense. |
| 6. | payable or forfeitable as a penalty: a penal sum. |
[pi-nal-i-tee] , noun | pe·nal (pē'nəl) adj.
[Middle English, from Old French peinal and from Medieval Latin pēnālis, both from Latin poenālis, from poena, penalty, from Greek poinē; see kwei-1 in Indo-European roots.] pe'nal·ly adv. |
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