retaliation
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of retaliation
Explanation
Retaliation is an act of revenge. Before you initiate retaliation on someone who has wronged you, consider whether he or she might have a ninja alter ego and a set of nunchucks stashed away. The noun retaliation stems from the Latin retaliare, meaning “pay back in kind.” Notice the word kind in that definition. Retaliation used to have both good and evil connotations. Now, though, it’s important to read that kind as synonymous with type or sort because retaliation has since lost its positive sense. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”
Vocabulary lists containing retaliation
Fahrenheit 451
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The Crucible
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The Hate U Give
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For years, Iran has generally justified direct attacks on Israel as retaliation for actions against Iranian territory, commanders or interests.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Mr. Netanyahu surely made these points to Mr. Trump on their Sunday call, and the President reportedly advised keeping any retaliation limited.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Congress should pass the Judiciary Accountability Act and extend federal anti-discrimination protections to judicial employees, so judges are no longer immune from suit, and employees can blow the whistle without fear of retaliation.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
When a parent intervened, Pratt also screamed at the parent, according to three people who witnessed the incident, who asked to remain unnamed for fear of retaliation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Morale was low because Cluny had ordered no retaliation until after midday.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
