retribution
Americannoun
-
requital according to merits or deserts, especially for evil.
- Synonyms:
- recompense, repayment, retaliation
- Antonyms:
- pardon
-
something given or inflicted in such requital.
- Synonyms:
- recompense, repayment, retaliation
- Antonyms:
- pardon
-
Theology. the distribution of rewards and punishments in a future life.
noun
-
the act of punishing or taking vengeance for wrongdoing, sin, or injury
-
punishment or vengeance
Synonym Usage
See revenge.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retribution
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English retribucioun, from Middle French, from Late Latin retribūtiōn- (stem of retribūtiō ) “punishment, reward as result of judgment,” equivalent to Latin retribūt(us) (past participle of retribuere “to restore, give back”; see re-, tribute) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Retribution is the act of taking revenge. If you pull a prank on someone, expect retribution. Retribution comes from the Latin for giving back what's due, either reward or punishment. But when we talk about retribution, we only talk about punishment. The old punishment code of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," is an example of retribution. Some people think about large events like tornados or earthquakes as cosmic retribution for human pride. Some synonyms are compensation, recompense, requital.
Vocabulary lists containing retribution
The Great Gatsby
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"The Cask Of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
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"The Cask of Amontillado"
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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.
Several business leaders contacted were hesitant to speak on the record, citing vulnerability to retribution and a general climate of fear and uncertainty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Kyiv calls its strikes "long-range sanctions", saying the attacks are justified retribution for Russia's more than four-year offensive and nightly attacks on its cities.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Asked if he was worried about retribution from Trump for his vote, he said: "I vote my conscience for what I think is right and willing to accept that."
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
But a narrative throughline hellbent on retribution neatly threads Harris’ fiery aesthetic choices together, giving “Is God Is” far more substance — and much more thematic intrigue — than its contemporaries.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
But today she had had too sharp a lesson in the retribution of this Puritan Colony, for the first time she felt a twinge of real fear.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
