n. The act of punishing; the infliction of pain or chastisement.n. Pain, suffering, loss, confinement, or other penalty inflicted on a person for a crime or offense, by the authority to which the offender is subject; a penalty imposed in the enforcement or application of law.n. Pain or injury inflicted, in a general sense; especially, in colloquial use, the pain inflicted by one pugilist on another in a prize-fight.n. Synonyms Chastisement, correction, discipline. See chastise.