retributivism

[ri-trib-yuh-tuh-viz-uhm]

noun

1. a policy or theory of criminal justice that advocates the punishment of criminals in retribution for the harm they have inflicted.

Other Word Forms

• retributivist adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retributivism¹

First recorded in 1965–70; retributive + -ism

Example Sentences

“If we stop being embarrassed about retributivism,” Kleiman says, “we could then try to make it proportionate.”

From Slate

At the press conference that follows, the commissioner stands before the media with drugs and money in front of him and declares in the language of classic expressive retributivism:

From Salon

To avoid these perceived moral failings of utilitarianism, retributivism envisions the state as a neutral and dispassionate actor who imposes punishment only as a moral imperative of society.

From Salon

“This is a country largely focused on retributivism as a basis for punishment,” she continued.

From Scientific American