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corporal punishment
noun
: punishment that involves hitting someone : physical punishment
The school banned corporal punishment many years ago.
Examples of corporal punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Vancouver had been a forceful captain at sea, maligning much of his crew through his ill temper and liberal use of corporal punishment.
—Corbin Reiff, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
When Trump was 13, his father found his collection of switchblades (bought after seeing West Side Story) and shipped him off to a military academy known for corporal punishment.
—EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Both children were subjected to strict corporal punishment, prosecutors said.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2024
West’s mother was a demanding perfectionist, and his father, although a gregarious, outgoing man, had a short fuse and was a firm believer in corporal punishment.
—Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Corporal punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporal%20punishment. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Legal Definition
corporal punishment
noun
cor·po·ral punishment
ˈkȯr-pə-rəl-
: punishment inflicted on a person's body see also cruel and unusual punishment
Note: The prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution imposes limits on the use of corporal punishment on convicted offenders and prisoners. The U.S. Supreme Court has found the Eighth Amendment to be inapplicable to the use of corporal punishment on schoolchildren.
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