retaliatory
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retaliatory
Explanation
A retaliatory act is one that attempts to get even with someone or to punish them for some wrongdoing. When you shove your brother because he shoved you, that's retaliatory. Sometimes, wars are avoided because one country or group hesitates to attack another out of fear of a retaliatory strike. In fact, most wars consist of a long series of retaliatory actions — a bomb dropped to pay the enemy back for the bomb they dropped, and so on. Retaliatory comes from the verb retaliate, and the Latin root retaliare, "pay back in kind."
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.
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs aren’t set to take effect for another two weeks, leaving wiggle room for the two sides to reach a last-minute compromise.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Canadian officials said their set of retaliatory duties are designed to protect domestic market share for firms directly impacted by U.S. tariffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
For now, Carney's planned Canadian retaliatory duties are strategic "dollar-for-dollar" countermeasures focused on steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, electronics, pulp and paper - though the list is still being finalised.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Canada's regional leaders said the United States has been particularly irritated by one retaliatory measure: the removal of US alcohol and wine from liquor stores.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
I doubted Bouain even realized Otto had tried to be hostile, until he gave Otto a retaliatory pinch.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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.
