different between punishment vs nemesis

English

Etymology

From Middle English punishement, punyschment, punyschement, ponyshemente, from Old French punissement, from punir (“to punish”), synchronically equivalent to punish +? -ment. Compare the English nouns punishing and punition.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?n??m?nt/
• Hyphenation: pun?ish?ment

Noun

punishment (countable and uncountable, plural punishments)

1. The act or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction.

2. A penalty to punish wrongdoing, especially for crime.

3. A suffering by pain or loss imposed as retribution
4. (figuratively) Any treatment or experience so harsh it feels like being punished; rough handling

Synonyms

• castigation
• punition
• beating

Antonyms

• reward

Hyponyms

• retribution
• corporal punishment
• mirror punishment

Derived terms

• brute for punishment

Related terms

• punishable
• punisher
• punishing
• punitive
• impunity

Translations

See also

• telishment

Anagrams

• unshipment

English

Etymology

From the Greek goddess of retribution Nemesis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?m?s?s/

Noun

nemesis (plural nemeses)

1. (chiefly Canada, US) An archenemy

2. (chiefly non-North American usage) A person or character who specifically brings about the downfall of another person or character.
3. The principle of retributive justice.
4. (usually in the singular, formal) A punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided.
5. The polar opposite of a character.
6. A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent.

Coordinate terms

• antagonist
• villain
• rival
• bane
• archenemy
• adversary

Derived terms

• archnemesis
• chocolate nemesis
• nemetic

Translations

Anagrams

• Meissen, Semiens, misseen, siemens

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?ne.me.sis/, [?n?m?s??s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?ne.me.sis/, [?n??m?s?is]

Noun

nemesis f (genitive nemesis or nemese?s or nemesios); third declension

1. nemesis

Declension

Third-declension noun (Greek-type, i-stem, i-stem).

¹Found sometimes in Medieval and New Latin.

Descendants

• Italian: nemesi
• Swedish: nemesis