reprisal

American  

[ri-prahy-zuhl] / rɪˈpraɪ zəl /

noun

• reprisals
  plural

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.

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reprisal British  

/ 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

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reprisal Cultural  

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.

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Synonym Usage

See revenge.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreprisal
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reprisals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reprisal

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

Explanation

A reprisal is an act of retaliation, especially one committed by one country against another. If you attack your enemy's village and cause lots of damage, expect a reprisal. Reprisal comes from the French for taking back, and used to mean the seizure of property as a compensation for some earlier loss. Now we use it more in the sense of a retaliatory attack. When Germany bombed London during World War II, the British reprisals included the bombing of Berlin. Reprisal doesn't always have to be about war; you can use it for any act of retaliation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reprisal reprisals

Many people spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from the administration.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

The young father, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the driver seemed to follow him down an alley off Pico Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Reviving prize law could be complemented by Congress’s issuing letters of marque and reprisal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said the reprisal had followed military pressure after peace negotiations between left-wing President Gustavo Petro and Mordisco.

From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026

The only ways in which I felt that my feelings could go outward without fear of rude rebuff or searing reprisal was in writing or reading, and to me they were ways of living.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

But similar reprisals against high-level officials close to the Kremlin could backfire and arouse even more elite discontent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Many of the women have not used their real names because they fear reprisals.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Cubans who once feared government reprisals now criticize the country's leaders and have taken to banging pots and pans in regular nighttime protests.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

During the McCarthy era, overreaching laws, surveillance, and public and private sector reprisals ostensibly targeted alleged communists.

From Salon ● May 28, 2026

They also keep a close eye on possible economic reprisals from the Councils and the Klans, plus other superpatriotic groups who bring pressures to bear on the newspapers’ advertisers.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Related Words

• retaliation
• retribution
• vengeance