inflictions

Infliction is the act or instance of causing something undesirable to be suffered by someone or something. It can refer to the act of imposing harm, pain, punishment, or hardship, or to the thing that is inflicted, such as an injury or a penalty. The term is used across disciplines, including law, medicine, philosophy, and everyday language, to describe the imposition of consequences on another party.

Etymology and usage: Infliction derives from the Latin inflictio, from inflicere meaning to strike upon or lay upon. It entered English through Old French infliction. The noun form infliction is used in phrases like “the infliction of pain” or “the infliction of a penalty,” while the verb inflict commonly appears with on or upon (inflict on someone, inflict upon a country).

Contexts: In law, infliction can describe the imposition of punishment or damages, such as the infliction of a sentence or liability resulting from a tort. In medical or caregiving contexts, it may reference procedures that cause discomfort or injury as part of treatment, or the burden of disease. In social or political discourse, infliction can denote hardship imposed by policies or oppression, such as the infliction of poverty or sanctions.

See also: harm, injury, damage, punishment, suffering, oppression, violence.