reprisal
Americannoun
-
(in warfare) retaliation against an enemy, for injuries received, by the infliction of equal or greater injuries.
- Synonyms:
- redress
-
an act or instance of retaliation.
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the action or practice of using force, short of war, against another nation, to secure redress of a grievance.
-
the forcible seizure of property or subjects in retaliation.
noun
-
(often plural) retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime, such as the execution of prisoners of war, destruction of property, etc
-
the act or an instance of retaliation in any form
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(formerly) the forcible seizure of the property or subjects of one nation by another
Synonym Usage
See revenge.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reprisal
1400–50; late Middle English reprisail < Old French reprisaille. See reprise, -al 2
Explanation
A reprisal is an act of retaliation, especially one committed by one country against another. If you attack your enemy's village and cause lots of damage, expect a reprisal. Reprisal comes from the French for taking back, and used to mean the seizure of property as a compensation for some earlier loss. Now we use it more in the sense of a retaliatory attack. When Germany bombed London during World War II, the British reprisals included the bombing of Berlin. Reprisal doesn't always have to be about war; you can use it for any act of retaliation.
Vocabulary lists containing reprisal
The Constitution of the United States
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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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.
The young father, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the driver seemed to follow him down an alley off Pico Boulevard.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Reviving prize law could be complemented by Congress’s issuing letters of marque and reprisal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
It is reprisal and revenge against a group that had the temerity to oppose hate wherever it originates.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
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
I will repeat only one admonishment from a native of Maine, and I will not put a name to that person for fear of reprisal.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
