Castigate has a synonym in chastise. Both verbs mean to punish or to censure someone. Fittingly, both words derive from the same root: the Latin castigare, formed from the words for "pure" (castus) and "to drive" (agere). (Castus also gave us the noun caste, meaning "social class or rank.") Another verb derived from castigare is chasten, which can also mean "to discipline by punishment" but more commonly means "to subdue or make humble" (as in "chastened by his foolish error"). Castigate is the youngest of the three verbs in English, dating from the early 17th century, while chasten dates to the early 16th century and chastise has been found in use as far back as the 14th.
punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.
punished for stealing
chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.
chastised his son for neglecting his studies
castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.
an editorial castigating the entire city council
chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.
chastened by a landslide election defeat
discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.
parents must discipline their children
correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.
the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer
Example Sentences
The author castigated the prime minister as an ineffective leader. castigated him for his constant tardiness
Recent Examples on the WebThe characters in the movie also take time to castigate others who don't use correct language. Angie Orellana Hernandez, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2022 Royal experts tend to castigate Meghan and Prince Harry for not following the rules, speaking out of turn, and widening the family rift. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2022 Carlson is primed to castigate the mainstream press—how many Fox anchors have made a living doing just that?—but that political dynamic isn’t coded the same way in Brazil. Andre Pagliarini, The New Republic, 1 July 2022 Opponents say Campbell is not progressive enough and castigate her for not pledging to keep super PAC money out of the election. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2022 Since Johnson, though, Republicans have largely been able to castigate Democrats as weak. Bill Donahue, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Democrats would castigate Republicans for their opposition.New York Times, 25 May 2022 Gaetz reportedly stood up to castigate McCarthy, but most attendees responded to his speech with a standing ovation. Grayson Quay, The Week, 27 Apr. 2022 Putin, in turn, may use the embarassing parade to castigate military leaders, demanding reform. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 2 May 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin castigatus, past participle of castigare — more at chasten