Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of retaliating; the return of like for like; the doing of that to another which he has done to us; especially (now usually), requital of evil; reprisal; revenge.
  • noun Synonyms Retribution, Reprisal, etc. See revenge.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of retaliating, or of returning like for like; retribution; now, specifically, the return of evil for evil; e.g., an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Violent response to an act of harm or perceived injustice.
  • noun An act of violent response

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun action taken in return for an injury or offense

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Schelling showed that a party can strengthen its position by overtly worsening its own options, that the capability to retaliate can be more useful than the ability to resist an attack, and that uncertain retaliation is more credible and more efficient than certain retaliation.

    The Prize in Economics 2005 - Press Release 2005

  • BUT I do not suggest that the American failure to outlaw the use of the bomb except in retaliation is the only cause of the absence of an agreement with the

    Atomic War or Peace 1969

  • BUT I do not suggest that the American failure to outlaw the use of the bomb except in retaliation is the only cause of the absence of an agreement with the

    Atomic War or Peace 1947

  • Senator John McCain, who you just saw there, also said that sometimes inside Congress, the battle against pork barrel spending faces what he calls retaliation, especially from some lawmakers who are used to, as they say, bringing home the bacon.

    CNN Transcript Mar 10, 2007 2007

  • LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight an American civilian beheaded on video by his captors in what they call retaliation for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers.

    CNN Transcript May 11, 2004 2004

  • The police reported 2 deaths and 1 injury in what they described as retaliation to residents throwing stones at them.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1992

  • If the Canadian exporter finds foreign markets barred to him in retaliation, that is simply his problem.

    Some Important Aspects of Canada's International Trade 1960

  • Mr. Sener is currently jailed on charges of aiding a terror organization, which he calls retaliation against him.

    NYT > Home Page By SEBNEM ARSU 2012

  • You call it "retaliation," but in most circles it would be simply corrective action.

    Another Government Report Supports Sternberg 2006

  • Ward Churchill won his case against the University of Colorado today as a Denver jury unanimously decided he was fired in retaliation for his controversial essay about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

    Just a Buck 2009

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