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

Character of early, 30; lex talionis, 30; legal codes, 30–31 Legend-s.

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

Our heroine, being at once ardent and philosophical, put the lex talionis into force by falling in love with one of her mother's lodgers, a sprig of the legal profession.

From At Last by Harland, Marion

To the Hindu, on the other hand, the lex talionis is a law of life still enforced.

From India's Problem, Krishna or Christ by Jones, John P. (John Peter)

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

One is immediately struck, for example, by the similarity in the application of the lex talionis: Ham.

From The Christian View of the Old Testament by Eiselen, Frederick Carl