刑罰|けいばつkeibatsu[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noun(criminal) punishment; penalty; sentence
   それは罪人ざいにんに対たいする最もっとも人道的じんどうてきな刑罰けいばつではないか。↗

   Isn't that the most humane punishment for criminals?

• Synonym処罰しょばつWrittenWritten word for punishment in general (「違反者を処罰する」); broader than 「刑罰」, covering administrative and school penalties as well as legal ones.
• SynonymペナルティーNeutralNeutral loanword for any penalty or adverse consequence for breaking rules, including in sports (「ペナルティーキック」); not limited to crime.
• Synonym刑戮けいりくFormalFormal, rare word for inflicting punishment or death; far rarer than 「刑罰」.
• Synonym科罰かばつWrittenWritten word for imposing a penalty; rare in use — say 「処罰」 instead.
• Related懲罰ちょうばつWrittenWritten word for punishment, as in 「懲罰委員会」; usually discipline within an organization rather than a court-imposed 「刑罰」.
• Related戒めいましめNeutralNeutral noun for an admonition or warning (「戒めとする」); stresses caution and lessons, not legal punishment.
• Related処分しょぶんNeutralNeutral noun for a disciplinary measure (「停学処分」「懲戒処分」); typical of school or administrative decisions, not criminal sentences.
• Related制裁せいさいWrittenWritten noun for sanctions (「経済制裁」); penalties for breaking rules or norms, imposed internationally or by society or a group, rather than a court's criminal sentence.
• Related懲戒ちょうかいWrittenWritten noun for formal discipline (「懲戒免職」); typical of workplace or civil-servant sanctions rather than criminal law.
• Related仕置きしおきCasualColloquial word for Edo-period punishment or execution; today mostly punishing a child, and it sounds dated.
• Relatedお仕置きおしおきCasualColloquial word for punishing a child (「お仕置きよ」); in historical contexts it can also mean an Edo-period execution.
• Related成敗せいばいWrittenWritten word for punishing, even beheading, wrongdoers (「喧嘩両成敗」); mostly seen in period dramas.
• Related懲らしめこらしめNeutralNeutral, conversational noun for chastising someone (「懲らしめのため」); focuses on making them learn a lesson, with no legal nuance.
• Related天罰てんばつNeutralNeutral noun for divine retribution (「天罰が下る」); the punisher is heaven, not the state.
• Related天誅てんちゅうFormalFormal term for heaven's punishment, or slaying evildoers in heaven's name; found in historical dramas and forceful in tone.
• Antonym褒賞ほうしょうWrittenAntonym: written word for a prize or reward (「褒賞を授与する」), the opposite of punishment.
• Antonym恩赦おんしゃFormalAntonym: formal word for an amnesty or pardon (「恩赦を受ける」), remitting a 「刑罰」 instead of imposing one.

Use 「刑罰」 for punishment imposed by law (「刑罰を科す」「重い刑罰」). For punishment in general say 「処罰」; for school or administrative measures 「処分」; for workplace discipline 「懲戒」; for international or social sanctions 「制裁」. 「戒め」 and 「懲らしめ」 stress warnings and lessons, 「ペナルティー」 covers rule penalties including sports, and 「天罰」「天誅」 are divine punishment. The opposites are 「褒賞」 (rewards) and 「恩赦」 (pardon).

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 罪つみを犯おかした者ものに対たいして国家こっか・地方自治体ちほうじちたいなどが加くわえる制裁せいさい。