exemplary damages

3 definitions found

exemplary damages - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Damage \Dam"age\ (d[a^]m"[asl]j; 48), n. [OF. damage, domage, F.
     dommage, fr. assumed LL. damnaticum, from L. damnum damage.
     See Damn.]
     1. Injury or harm to person, property, or reputation; an
        inflicted loss of value; detriment; hurt; mischief.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool
              cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage. --Prov.
                                                    xxvi. 6.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Great errors and absurdities many commit for want of
              a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage
              both of their fame and fortune.       --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. pl. (Law) The estimated reparation in money for detriment
        or injury sustained; a compensation, recompense, or
        satisfaction to one party, for a wrong or injury actually
        done to him by another.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In common-law actions, the jury are the proper judges
           of damages.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     Consequential damage. See under Consequential.
  
     Exemplary damages (Law), damages imposed by way of example
        to others. Similar in purpose to vindictive damages,
        below.
  
     Nominal damages (Law), those given for a violation of a
        right where no actual loss has accrued.
  
     vindictive damages or punitive damages, those given
        specially for the punishment of the wrongdoer.
  
     Syn: Mischief; injury; harm; hurt; detriment; evil; ill. See
          Mischief.
          [1913 Webster]

  Exemplary \Ex"em*pla*ry\, a. [L. exemplaris, fr. exemplar: cf.
     F. exemplaire. See Exemplar.]
     1. Serving as a pattern; deserving to be proposed for
        imitation; commendable; as, an exemplary person; exemplary
        conduct.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              [Bishops'] lives and doctrines ought to be
              exemplary.                            --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Serving as a warning; monitory; as, exemplary justice,
        punishment, or damages.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Illustrating as the proof of a thing. --Fuller.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Exemplary damages. (Law) See under Damage.
        [1913 Webster]

exemplary damages - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  exemplary damages
      n 1: (law) compensation in excess of actual damages (a form of
           punishment awarded in cases of malicious or willful
           misconduct) [syn: punitive damages, exemplary damages,
           smart money]