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Misuse vs Punishment - What's the difference?

misuse | punishment |

As nouns the difference between misuse and punishment

is that misuse is an incorrect, improper or unlawful use of something while punishment is the act or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction.

As a verb misuse

is to use (something) incorrectly.

misuse

English

Etymology 1

(mis-) +

Noun

(en noun)
  • An incorrect, improper or unlawful use of something.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=June 4 , author=Lewis Smith , title=Queen's English Society says enuf is enough, innit? , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=The Queen may be celebrating her jubilee but the Queen's English Society, which has railed against the misuse and deterioration of the English language, is to fold.}}

    Etymology 2

    From (mis-) +

    Verb

    (misus)
  • To use (something) incorrectly.
  • To abuse or mistreat (something or someone).
  • (obsolete) To abuse verbally, to insult.
  • *, II.3.7:
  • Socrates was brought upon the stage by Aristophanes, and misused to his face: but he laughed, as if it concerned him not […].

    punishment

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction.
  • A penalty to punish wrongdoing, especially for crime.
  • A suffering by pain or loss imposed as retribution
  • (figuratively) Any treatment or experience so harsh it feels like being punished; rough handling
  • a vehicle that can take a lot of punishment

    Synonyms

    * castigation * punition * beating

    Antonyms

    * reward

    Hyponyms

    * retribution

    Derived terms

    * corporal punishment * mirror punishment * (l)