A penalty is a punishment, and may refer to:

• in law:
  • Sentence (law), e.g. the death penalty
  • Sanctions (law), a punishment for violating rules of procedure, or for abusing the judicial process.
• in sports:
  • getting a Penalty (American football) gets a punishment for your team's rule infraction
  • getting a Penalty kick (football)/(soccer) gets a "reward" for the other team's rule infraction. See also Penalty area.
  • Penalty (ice hockey). See also Penalty box.
  • Penalty (rugby)
  • Penalty (Brazilian sports manufacturer)
• in finance and banking:
  • a payment forfeited for an early withdrawal from an account or an investment