Word: penal

Associations

"Penal" relates to punishment or the laws regarding punishment. It often refers to crimes and penalties imposed by the legal system.

• Example 1: "He was arrested for a penal offense." (This means he committed a crime that can be punished by law.)
• Example 2: "The penal code outlines all the legal punishments." (Here, it refers to the set of laws that specify penalties for various crimes.)
• Example 3: "She works in a penal institution." (This means she works in a prison or jail.)

A synonym for "penal" is "punitive." However, "punitive" often refers more to the intention of inflicting punishment, while "penal" is more about the legal aspect and the laws surrounding punishment.

Substitution

Other words you can use instead of "penal" include:

• "criminal" (which refers to anything related to crimes)
• "disciplinary" (which often relates to rules and behavior in non-legal contexts) These substitutions change the focus slightly, with "criminal" being broader and "disciplinary" being more about internal rules.

Deconstruction

The word "penal" comes from the Latin "poenalis," which is derived from "poena," meaning "punishment" or "penalty." It doesn't have a prefix, but the suffix "-al" indicates that it relates to something specified—in this case, punishment.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you heard about a penal law or regulation? What was it about?
• How do you think the penal system affects people in society?
• In your opinion, should the penal system focus more on punishment or rehabilitation? Why?