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retributivism

[ ri-trib-yuh-tuh-viz-uhm ]
/ rɪˈtrɪb yə təˌvɪz əm /
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noun
a policy or theory of criminal justice that advocates the punishment of criminals in retribution for the harm they have inflicted.
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Origin of retributivism

First recorded in 1965–70; retributive + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM retributivism

re·trib·u·tiv·ist, adjective

Words nearby retributivism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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