PEN'ALTY, noun 1. The suffering in person or property which is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime, offense or trespass, as a punishment. A fine is a pecuniary penalty The usual penalties inflicted on the person, are whipping, cropping, branding, imprisonment, hard labor, transportation or death. 2. The suffering to which a person subjects himself by covenant or agreement, in case of non-fulfillment of his stipulations; the forfeiture or sum to be forfeited for non-payment, or for non-compliance with an agreement; as the penalty of a bond.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI