repercussion
Americannoun
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repercussions
plural
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an effect or result, often indirect or remote, of some event or action.
The repercussions of the quarrel were widespread.
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the state of being driven back by a resisting body.
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a rebounding or recoil of something after impact.
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reverberation; echo.
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Music. (in a fugue) the point after the development of an episode at which the subject and answer appear again.
noun
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(often plural) a result or consequence, esp one that is somewhat removed from the action or event which precipitated it
the repercussions of the war are still keenly felt
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a recoil after impact; a rebound
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a reflection, esp of sound; echo or reverberation
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music the reappearance of a fugal subject and answer after an episode
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of repercussion
1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin repercussiōn- (stem of repercussiō ) a rebounding, equivalent to repercuss ( us ) (past participle of repercutere to strike back) + -iōn- -ion. See re-, percussion
Explanation
A repercussion is something that happens because of another action. You could quit paying your rent, but getting evicted from your apartment might be the repercussion. Repercussion may remind you slightly of concussion or percussion — what they all have in common is the idea of something (a head, a drum) getting hit. With repercussion, the hitting is the action, and the result (i.e., the repercussion) is like hearing an echo of that original strike over and over as it reverberates through the air.
Vocabulary lists containing repercussion
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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This Week in Words: September 22 - 28, 2018
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The Book Thief
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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.
See Examples For:
He added: "I'm not looking for any repercussion from this, I am standing up for myself to a guy who is questioning my reputation and slamming me in the media."
From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2024
In yet another buttress against the scourge of overwork, Australia’s Senate on Thursday passed a bill giving workers the right to ignore calls and messages outside of working hours without fear of repercussion.
From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2024
Of course, we should do so without feeding into hateful tropes about historically oppressed groups, but we should also recognize when fear of repercussion is being weaponized to silence people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
The Wolakota herd also ensures a reserve of high-quality meat for the community — without the threat of price-gouging, another pandemic repercussion of the industrial supply chain.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2023
The repercussion track was different every time, depending on how badly you’d screwed up, and really, as my mom liked to point out, it was just a bunch of guesswork.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
That might backfire, or it might not, and the repercussions of the former could represent a significant hurdle in their quest for a third consecutive World Series championship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Benner added that the restructuring planned at Volkswagen will have enormous repercussions for all manufacturers and suppliers in Germany, as well as the broader industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Military authorities put effort into messaging that ultimately obscures responsibility and causality, and family members who speak out sometimes fear real repercussions for themselves and loved ones.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The president's remarks also sparked a diplomatic row, with the Burundian foreign affairs minister warning that "hate speech against Burundi" could have repercussions for Kenyans abroad.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Surely, there will be repercussions, but will they go so far as Coin annulling our agreement for the victors’ immunity?
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
