lex talionis

American  

[leks tal-ee-oh-nis] / ˈlɛks ˌtæl iˈoʊ nɪs /

noun

1. the principle or law of retaliation that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer, as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; retributive justice.

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lex talionis British  

/ ˌtælɪˈəʊnɪs /

noun

1. the law of revenge or retaliation

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Etymology

Origin of lex talionis

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin lēx tāliōnis “law of talion” ( see talion ( def. ))

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lex talionis

But lex talionis, as the lawyers call it—pay ’em back in their own coin.

From The Kopje Garrison A Story of the Boer War by W. Boucher

It was an antiquated system which sought to inflict punishment for every mortal thing—it was the lex talionis of the Old Testament, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

From Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun

“We have no right to complain that we receive measure for measure,” he said; “and yet sir, though the lex talionis may be justified, it makes it none the less bitter.”

From Janice Meredith by Paul Leicester Ford

Nature of legal, 30; lex talionis, 30; codes of, 30 sq.; changes made by Provisional Criminal Code, 31–32; of the gods, 99 Pygmies.

From Myths and Legends of China by E. T. C. (Edward Theodore Chalmers) Werner

Providence is noted for close observance of the lex talionis" sneered Arthur, "but Dr. Ashton didn't believe in the existence of that functionary, so it really ought to have passed him by.

From The Pagans by Arlo Bates