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

Example Sentences

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

"When I saw the images, I was disgusted," she told AFP, declining to share her full name for fear of reprisal.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

Many were granted anonymity due to fears of reprisal.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025

But they cannot extinguish the belief that religion keeps alive: that there is something higher than Caesar’s will, something that commands conscience beyond fear of reprisal or political favor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Only a sense of the solidarity and fighting ability of Mack and the boys saved them from some kind of reprisal.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• retaliation
• retribution
• vengeance