corporal punishment
noun
: punishment that involves hitting someone : physical punishment
The school banned corporal punishment many years ago.
Legal Definition
corporal punishment
noun
cor·po·ral punishment
ˈkȯr-pə-rəl-
: punishment inflicted on a person's body see also cruel and unusual punishment
Note: The prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution imposes limits on the use of corporal punishment on convicted offenders and prisoners. The U.S. Supreme Court has found the Eighth Amendment to be inapplicable to the use of corporal punishment on schoolchildren.