punishable by law
1
4.8
- adjective
- Formal
:
sancionable por la ley
- The sale of alcohol to minors is punishable by law.
Examples
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In the city of Zombay, acting is illegal and punishable by law.
Blog text (15) -
36 Even though public display of support for ISIS in Lebanon is punishable by law, "any young man in Tripoli, if asked, would confess how much he admired its power."
Academic text (2015) -
Both charges are punishable by law.
Blog text (19) -
Yeah, those things sound pretty awful, some even punishable by law.
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And that lying to this body is perjury, punishable by law?
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It should be considered criminal and punishable by law.
Blog text (19) -
And do you understand that you will have to answer all the questions truthfully, regardless of your feelings, and that failure to do so is punishable by law?
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Are you saying that inciting violence against others is not punished in the US and shouldn't be punishable by law?
Blog text (19) -
The contents of this profile are private, legally privileged, and confidential information, and the violation of my personal privacy is punishable by law.
Blog text (7) -
The behaviors range from shoplifting and joy-riding to burglary and the use of violence, all behaviors punishable by law; so-called pre-delinquent behaviors, such as running away from home or staying away from school, are not included.
Academic text (2005)
Synonyms
57
6.2
It is about punishment given by law
4
6.9
Can be taken to court and tried for a crime
3
4.2
Can lead to a fine or other legal penalty
1
7.2
Able to be accused and tried in court for a crime
Can be punished under rules or law
Surface Forms
Morphology
punishable + by + law
The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'punishable' (capable of being punished) + 'by' (indicating the agent or source) + 'law' (the legal system), so a learner who knows these words can infer it refers to acts subject to legal penalties. This is a compositional legal phrase common across languages and follows standard English patterns, making it transparent for B1 learners.
Etymology
Punishable by law gives a clear picture: if someone breaks a rule, a judge or the law can punish them. So, saying something is punishable by law means it can get 'legal penalties' from the courts.