PENAL

penal. Penal, a. inflicting or denouncing punishment, relating to the punishment of crimes

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Pe″nal (?), a. [[L. poenalis, fr. poena punishment: cf. F. pénal. See Pain.]] Of or pertaining to punishment, to penalties, or to crimes and offenses; pertaining to criminal jurisprudence: as: (a) Enacting or threatening punishment; as, a penal statue; the penal code. (b) Incurring punishment; subject to a penalty; as, a penal act or offense. (c) Inflicted as punishment; used as a means of punishment; as, a penal colony or settlement. “Adamantine chains and penal fire.” Milton. Penal code (Law), a code of laws concerning crimes and offenses and their punishment. — Penal laws, Penal statutes (Law), laws prohibiting certain acts, and imposing penalties for committing them. — Penal servitude, imprisonment with hard labor, in a prison, in lieu of transportation. — Penal suit, Penal action (Law), a suit for penalties.