PE'NAL, adjective [Latin poena; Gr. pain, punishment. See Pain.] 1. Enacting punishment; denouncing the punishment of offenses; as a penal law or statute; the penal code. penal statutes must be construed strictly. 2. Inflicting punishment. Adamantine chains and penal fire. 3. Incurring punishment; subject to a penalty; as a penal act of offense.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI