vendetta

American  

[ven-det-uh] / vɛnˈdɛt ə /

noun

1. a private feud in which the members of the family of a murdered person seek to avenge the murder by killing the slayer or one of the slayer's relatives, especially such vengeance as once practiced in Corsica and parts of Italy.

2. any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like.

   a political vendetta.

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vendetta British  

/ vɛnˈdɛtə /

noun

1. a private feud, originally between Corsican or Sicilian families, in which the relatives of a murdered person seek vengeance by killing the murderer or some member of his family

2. any prolonged feud, quarrel, etc

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Other Word Forms

• vendettist noun

Etymology

Origin of vendetta

First recorded in 1850–55; from Italian, from Latin vindicta “vengeance”; vindictive

Example Sentences

It will be more orderly and less chaotic, less driven by impulse and vendetta, more discriminating between allies and adversaries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

Erik Charlotte VonSosen opens up about her designing process, drag culture’s influence on her work and her vendetta against Pinterest.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

Benn limited his media interviews, but came close to tears while talking about a "vendetta" against him when speaking to Piers Morgan.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2025

But making the main hero of "The Last of Us" the target of righteous vendetta invites viewers to reckon with the concept of justice long prescribed in Westerns.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2025

It seemed I had misread the situation between Sohrab and Ali-Reza, who had acted like friends, but were clearly engaged in some sort of personal vendetta that could only be settled through soccer/non-American football.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Related Words

• bickering
• grudge
• hostility
• quarrel
• revenge
• rivalry
• squabble