reprisal

[ri-prahy-zuhl]

noun

1. (in warfare) retaliation against an enemy, for injuries received, by the infliction of equal or greater injuries.

   Synonyms: redress

2. an act or instance of retaliation.

3. the action or practice of using force, short of war, against another nation, to secure redress of a grievance.

4. the forcible seizure of property or subjects in retaliation.

reprisal

/ rɪˈpraɪzəl /

noun

1. (often plural) retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime, such as the execution of prisoners of war, destruction of property, etc

2. the act or an instance of retaliation in any form

3. (formerly) the forcible seizure of the property or subjects of one nation by another

reprisal

1. An act by which a nation seeks, short of war, to redress a wrong committed against it by another nation. Boycotts and blockades are common forms of reprisal.

Other Word Forms

• nonreprisal noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of reprisal¹

1400–50; late Middle English reprisail < Old French reprisaille. See reprise, -al ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of reprisal¹

C15: from Old French reprisaille , from Old Italian ripresaglia , from riprendere to recapture, from Latin reprehendere to hold fast; see _reprehend

Synonym Study

See revenge.

Example Sentences

Berkeley, as Aptheker describes it, was still caught in the tail end of the McCarthyism of the 1950s, when the 1st Amendment was almost felled by fear of government reprisals.

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It was dirty, and patients had to bribe security officers and nurses to see a doctor, said the protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he feared reprisals.

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The rising cost of reprisals, in the form of offended constituencies, online outrage and direct threats, is increasingly rendering humor too hot to handle.

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It is often difficult to independently verify the real numbers of casualties in such attacks due to access restrictions and the fear of reprisals among witnesses and local media.

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In neighbourhoods where the demonstrations were strongest, few people are willing to speak openly, worried about reprisals or persecution in light of the numerous arrests during and after the protests.

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Related Words

• retaliation 
• retribution 
• vengeance