retribution

From Latin retribuere (“repay”).

• IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛt.ɹɪ.ˈbju.ʃən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

retribution (countable and uncountable, plural retributions)

1. Punishment inflicted in the spirit of moral outrage or personal vengeance.
   • 1983, Richard A. Posner, The economics of justice, m p.208:

     Whereas retribution focuses on the offender's wrong, retaliation focuses on the impulse of the victim (or of those who sympathize with him) to strike back at the offender.

   • 1999, Barbara Hanawalt, Medieval crime and social control, page 73:

     1. Revenge is for an injury; retribution is for a wrong.
     2. Retribution sets an internal limit to the amount of the punishment according to the seriousness of the wrong; revenge need not.
     3. Revenge is personal; the agent of retribution need have no special or personal tie to the victim of the wrong for which he exacts retribution.
     4. Revenge involves a particular emotional tone, pleasure in the suffering of another, while retribution need involve no emotional tone.

• See also Thesaurus:revenge

• punishment

• retributionist
• retributive
• retributionary
• retributory
• retribute