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” ( talion ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

The general principle of the earlier forms of justice is the lex talionis, but the infliction of the penalty was mostly in the discretion of the avenger.

From Legal Lore Curiosities of Law and Lawyers by Various

"Sár," here the Koranic word for carrying out the venerable and undying lex talionis the original basis of all criminal jurisprudence.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

This appears in its most rudimentary form in the lex talionis.

From The History of Freedom by Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron

In these cases the lex talionis is the only recognised one.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 1 by MacGillivray, John

There are instances where Talmudic law is tenderer than the Biblical; for example, the lex talionis is softened into an equivalent.

From Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala by Various