reprisal

American  

[ri-prahy-zuhl] / rɪˈpraɪ zəl /

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.

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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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Related Words

See revenge.

Other Word Forms

• nonreprisal
  noun

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

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

It is reprisal and revenge against a group that had the temerity to oppose hate wherever it originates.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

Many Sikh community members “choose to remain silent because of a fear of reprisal to them, their body, their business, and to their loved ones in the United States or India,” said Naindeep Singh.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

After having lived through decades of war in their own country, and having escaped the possibility of reprisal and persecution there, the Afghan evacuees are now caught in another nightmare.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 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

Related Words

• retaliation
• retribution
• vengeance