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punitif

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Etymology and origin of the French word punitif

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1370 Nicole Oresme, Éthiques More words from the 14th century
Ultimate origin
Latin pūniō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French punitif
English punitive

Forms

punitif (feminine punitive, masculine plural punitifs, feminine plural punitives)[1]

Etymology

It is a learned formation from French punition + -if, made on the stem of the noun.[2][3][4] The Grand Larousse derives it from punir instead.[5] Wiktionary and the Wiktionnaire take it from Medieval Latin pūnītīvus, from pūnītus, the past participle of pūniō (“to punish”).[1][6]

For the military sense of the phrase, the TLFi compares the English punitive expedition, recorded since 1881.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nicole Oresme first uses it about 1370, in his translation of Aristotle's Ethics, of a man disposed to punish.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From “inclined to punish” it passed to “having the character of a punishment” (1691) and to “intended to punish”, recorded by Féraud in 1788 (the Grand Larousse has 1786).[5][2][3]

In the 20th century it is mostly used in expédition punitive, an armed raid in reprisal, first recorded in 1920 in the Tharaud brothers.[2][3] The Grand Larousse dates the phrase to 1932.[5] English punitive (1620s) is from French punitif or directly from Medieval Latin.[7]

Timeline

  • 1370 – Oresme uses it for “disposed to punish”.[2][4]
  • 1691 – Recorded in the sense “having the character of a punishment”.[5]
  • 1788 – Féraud records the sense “intended to punish”.[2][3]
  • 1920 – Expédition punitive appears in the Tharauds' Royaume de Dieu.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (rare) Meant to punish, having punishment as its aim, punitive.[8][2][1]
  2. Expédition punitive: a violent raid carried out by soldiers or another group as reprisal.[8][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
  7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Punitif.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/punitif. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·