Penality

Penality is a noun that is largely superseded by the standard spelling penalty in contemporary English. It refers to the punishment or sanction imposed for breaking a rule, law, or contractual obligation, or to the amount of that punishment, such as a fine or compensatory requirement. In modern usage, penalty is the preferred form, while penality appears mainly in historical texts or certain specialized contexts as an alternative spelling.

Etymology and usage: Penality derives from the same root as penalty, with its form influenced by French and Latin. In today’s writing, penality is seldom used outside older documents or stylistic choices, and readers should expect penalty in most contexts. In legal and regulatory language, penalties can be statutory, civil, or contractual, ranging from fines to other sanctions. The related concept of liquidated damages in contract law serves a similar deterrent function but is not always labeled as a penalty.

In sports, penalty refers to a sanction or a set-piece awarded for fouls or infractions, such as a penalty kick in football (soccer) or a penalty shootout in certain formats. The term also appears in financial and administrative contexts, where penalty charges or penalty interest may be imposed for late performance or noncompliance.

See also: penalty, penalties (disambiguation). While penality is encountered in some texts, it is broadly considered archaic or regional; penalty is the standard term across law, finance, and sport.