Relating to punishment or penalties, especially in the criminal justice system.
From Latin 'poenalis' derived from 'poena' (punishment, pain). The word entered Middle English through Old French and has maintained its legal focus since the 13th century.
The 'penal code' is basically society's official list of 'here's what we'll do to you if you break our rules,' and it changes constantly as societies decide what they think deserves punishment. Colonial penal codes were often shocking by modern standards.
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