talion

American  

[tal-ee-uhn] / ˈtæl i ən /

noun

1. lex talionis.

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talion British  

/ ˈtælɪən /

noun

1. the system or legal principle of making the punishment correspond to the crime; retaliation

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Etymology

Origin of talion

1375–1425; < Latin tāliōn- (stem of tāliō ) exaction of compensation in kind; replacing late Middle English talioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Example Sentences

An incident of the fighting reported from the French front: Major Chartrane, commanding a bat talion of colored troops, ordered an advance.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then the chiefs of the Companions were instant with the plaintiffs to accept the bloodwit and win the thanks of the folk, but they refused and would nothing but the talion.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Volume IV by Payne, John

But it is to be questioned whether the rule of talion is the right one for the Kabyles.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 11, No. 25, April, 1873 by Various

Then the chiefs of the Companions urged the plaintiffs to accept the blood-wit and deserve the thanks of the folk; but they both refused and would accept nothing save the talion.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 05 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir