castigate

verb

cas·ti·gate ˈka-stə-ˌgāt

castigated; castigating

Synonyms of castigate next

transitive verb

: to subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism

The judge castigated the lawyers for their lack of preparation.

castigation

ˌka-stə-ˈgā-shən

noun

castigator

ˈka-stə-ˌgā-tər

noun

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Castigate has a synonym in chastise: both verbs mean "to punish or to censure (someone)." They both also happen to come from the same Latin root, the verb castīgāre, meaning "to discipline for a fault or lapse; reprove, censure." Castīgāre is also the source of chasten, which can also mean "to discipline by punishment" but more commonly means "to subdue or make humble," as in "chastened by my foolish error." Castigate is the newest of the three verbs; current evidence dates it to the early 17th century, while chasten dates to the early 16th century, and chastise has been found in use as far back as the 14th.

Choose the Right Synonym for castigate

punish, chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline, correct mean to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing.

punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.

punished for stealing

chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.

chastised his son for neglecting his studies

castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.

an editorial castigating the entire city council

chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.

chastened by a landslide election defeat

discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.

parents must discipline their children

correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.

the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer

Examples of castigate in a Sentence

The author castigated the prime minister as an ineffective leader. castigated him for his constant tardiness

Recent Examples on the Web That speech was controversial because it was seen as a snub of then-President Obama and gave Netanyahu a platform to castigate him over the Iran nuclear deal. —

Andrew Solender, Axios, 24 July 2024 Democrats have castigated Republicans as warmongers who reflexively abjure sensible arms control. —

Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2021 And in India in July, a judge castigated the Delhi police for failing to act against officials who were involved in the lynching of a Muslim man in January 2020. —

Rana Ayyub, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024 Netanyahu castigated the protestors as siding with the Hamas terrorists who murdered innocent Israelis and committed acts of barbarism such as rape. —

Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for castigate

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'castigate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin castīgātus, past participle of castīgāre "to discipline for a fault or lapse, reprove, censure," perhaps from *casti-, stem of *castis "reprimand" (going back to Indo-European *ḱHs-ti-, whence also Sanskrit śiṣṭi- "instruction") + *-ig-, going back to Indo-European -h₂ǵ-, zero-grade of *h₂eǵ- "drive, impel, lead" — more at agent

Note: This etymology follows G. Dunkel, "Latin verbs in -igāre and -īgāre," 125 Jahre Indogermanistik in Graz (Graz: Leykam, 2000), pp. 87-99. According to the older conventional explanation, the initial element is the adjective castus "free from, untouched (by the thing specified), pure, not sexually promiscuous" (see chaste), but semantically this is a poor fit, and does not clearly account for the long ī. On the other hand, Dunkel's hypothesis would mean that Indo-European *ḱeHs- shows up in Latin only in this presumed i-stem derivative and nowhere else, unless castus itself can be attributed to the same etymon—but again that does not fit well semantically ("instruct, reprove" > "pure"?). See also the note at chaste.

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of castigate was in 1606

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Castigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castigate. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

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Kids Definition

castigate

verb

cas·ti·gate ˈkas-tə-ˌgāt

castigated; castigating

: to punish, scold, or criticize harshly

castigation

ˌkas-tə-ˈgā-shən

noun

castigator

ˈkas-tə-ˌgāt-ər

noun

Last Updated: 17 Aug 2024 - Updated example sentences

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castigate

verb

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Synonyms

Examples of castigate in a Sentence

Word History

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