condign
/kənˈdʌɪn
/adjective formal
(Of punishment or retribution) appropriate to the crime or wrongdoing; fitting and deserved: condign punishment was rare when the criminal was a man of high social standing...
- I may pity him, and even understand his motives, but a murderer is still deserving of condign punishment.
- As he points out, if the allegation were true, this leak would constitute a serious breach of national security and would merit condign punishment under a 1982 law.
- Abu Salem's extradition has additional complications, and there is little possibility of his eventually facing condign punishment for his outrageous crimes.
Derivatives
condignly
- The Roundabout revival features a convincingly horrendous set by John Lee Beatty, aptly atmospheric costuming by Jane Greenwood, and condignly murky lighting by Peter Kaczorowski.
- Prodigal scenery by Giles Cadle and lavishly impudent costumes by William Ivey Long are condignly lighted by Kenneth Posner; Lane and Bart, inspired comedians, make the good jokes resonate and the poorer ones bearable.
- Granted, he looks condignly mistakable for his sister, and tries, I imagine, to sound subduedly like her; he still gives a waterlogged performance.
Origin
Late Middle English (in the general sense 'worthy, appropriate'): from Old French condigne, from Latin condignus, from con- 'altogether' + dignus 'worthy'.