requital

American  

[ri-kwahyt-l] / rɪˈkwaɪt l /

noun

1. the act of requiting.

2. a return or reward for service, kindness, etc.

3. a retaliation for a wrong, injury, etc.

4. something given or done as repayment, reward, punishment, etc., in return.

---

requital British  

/ rɪˈkwaɪtəl /

noun

1. the act or an instance of requiting

2. a return or compensation for a good or bad action

---

Other Word Forms

• nonrequital
  noun
• unrequital
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of requital

First recorded in 1570–80; requite + -al ²

---

Explanation

When you pay someone back or return their favor, that's requital. Your friend might insist that no requital is necessary for the cookies she gives you, but you may want to bake cupcakes for her tomorrow anyway. Use requital for the sincere return of a favor, like going to your brother's band concert after he's dutifully attended your poetry reading. You can also use it for retribution for a wrong that's been done: "As requital for the Silly String attack, she put a whoopie cushion on her classmate's chair." Requital comes from requite, which is based in the Middle English root quite, "clear or pay up."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

requital

This nonsense gradually infected everything and the consequence was an underestimate which subsequently bought the bitterest requital.

From Time Magazine Archive

I say this: 'Yonder young man is much in debt to me, but my requital when I ask it will be equal to his debt.'

From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Elizabeth Miller

For all the wrong of slavery requital must be made, submissively, ungrudgingly, repentantly.

From Abraham Lincoln's Cardinal Traits; A Study in Ethics, with an Epilogue Addressed to Theologians by Clark S. Beardslee

"Still, there are young ladies in the world who would vouchsafe to bear me company in requital for being placed at the head of such a house as this."

From Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Volume I. by Charles James Lever

Were the story true, how vast was the requital!

From Dryden's Works Vol. 3 (of 18) Sir Martin Mar-All; The Tempest; An Evening's Love; Tyrannic Love by John Dryden

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---