penais

Penais is a term commonly encountered in Portuguese-language contexts, primarily related to criminal law. As an adjective, penais is the plural form of penal and appears in phrases such as questões penais (criminal matters), crimes penais (criminal offenses), and tribunais penais (criminal courts). The form derives from Latin poena, meaning punishment, and is used to distinguish criminal matters from civil or administrative ones within legal discourse.

In addition to its legal usage, penais is a surname of Portuguese origin. It is found among families in Brazil, Portugal, and other Lusophone communities. As a family name, Penais serves to identify individuals and lineages rather than to convey a legal or regulatory meaning. While the surname appears in records and contemporary contexts, there is no single internationally prominent figure universally associated with it.

Overall, penais serves mainly as a grammatical form in criminal-law terminology and as a less common surname, with no separate, widely recognized concept beyond these uses.