noun
penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor
A legal term for a sentence of imprisonment that includes mandatory labor. Often contrasted with 禁錮 (imprisonment without compulsory labor).
See also: 禁錮
裁判官は被告に懲役3年の判決を言い渡した。
The judge sentenced the defendant to three years of penal servitude.
禁錮 is imprisonment without compulsory labor, while 懲役 includes mandatory hard labor.
Compound of 懲 (chastise, punish) and 役 (service, labor). The term reflects the historical concept of punishment through forced labor.