retaliation
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of retaliation
Explanation
Retaliation is an act of revenge. Before you initiate retaliation on someone who has wronged you, consider whether he or she might have a ninja alter ego and a set of nunchucks stashed away. The noun retaliation stems from the Latin retaliare, meaning “pay back in kind.” Notice the word kind in that definition. Retaliation used to have both good and evil connotations. Now, though, it’s important to read that kind as synonymous with type or sort because retaliation has since lost its positive sense. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”
Vocabulary lists containing retaliation
Fahrenheit 451
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The Crucible
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The Hate U Give
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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.
Germany has until now adopted a cautious posture because its economy is more exposed to potential retaliation, while Spain has sought to avoid tensions as it chases Chinese investment.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
Freeman alleges the city of Riverside violated her rights by investigating her without due process in retaliation for her criticism of public officials.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Staff members within the Office of the Prosecutor have warned that Khan's return could damage confidence in the institution and have expressed concerns about possible retaliation.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
When confronted with the allegations, she denied them and blamed her law clerk, claiming the clerk made it up in retaliation for a poor performance review.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
One of them asks the group what happens when they are victorious and are actually able to vote without fear of retaliation.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
