retaliatory

Rarely re·tal·i·a·tive

[ri-tal-ee-uh-tawr-ee]

adjective

1. done in order to take revenge; returning evil for evil.

   Hate crimes are especially likely to inflict emotional harm and provoke retaliatory violence.

Other Word Forms

• unretaliatory adjective
• unretaliative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retaliatory¹

retaliat(e) ( def. ) + -ory ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

As targeted countries considered or implemented retaliatory measures, tough negotiations led to many deals, including with the European Union and China.

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Hershey HSY 1.83%increase; green up pointing triangle entered the second quarter worried about tariffs on cocoa imports and retaliatory duties by Canada, as rising cocoa prices and other factors were also driving up costs.

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Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 69,546 people, according to figures from the health ministry that the UN considers reliable.

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More than 69,500 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military's retaliatory campaign, according to Gaza's health ministry.

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Inflationary pressures have also eased after Ottawa, as of September, dropped retaliatory tariffs on imports of most U.S. goods.

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Related Words

• cruel 
• malicious 
• merciless 
• resentful 
• ruthless 
• spiteful 
• unforgiving 
• vengeful