penal
adjective uk/ˈpiː.nəl/ us/ˈpiː.nəl/
(PUNISHMENT)
[ before noun ]刑罚的;惩诫(性)的
of or relating to punishment given by law
Many people believe that execution has no place in the penal system of a civilized society. 许多人认为文明社会的刑罚制度中不应有死刑。
He had been in and out of penal institutions (= prison) from the age of 16. 他自16岁起多次被捕入狱。
(CAUSING DISADVANTAGE)
UK产生有害影响的;使处于不利地位的;苛刻的
having a harmful effect; causing disadvantage
They complained about the penal and counter-productive tax rates. 他们抱怨税率繁重、不利生产。
Employees regarded the childcare charges as penal. 员工们认为托儿费很苛刻。