With its prefix re-, meaning "back", retribution means literally "payback". And indeed we usually use it when talking about personal revenge, whether it's retribution for an insult in a high-school corridor or …

They fled because they feared retribution for the genocide. She was asked whether a civilian government should seek retribution against military officers involved in human rights abuses. Many …

Retribution is the act of taking revenge. If you pull a prank on someone, expect retribution.

Retribution is punishment for a crime, especially punishment which is carried out by someone other than the official authorities. He didn't want any further involvement for fear of retribution.

Dec 18, 2025 · 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.

Definition of retribution noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

RETRIBUTION definition: requital according to merits or deserts, especially for evil. See examples of retribution used in a sentence.

Fundamental justifications or alternatives to punishment include: retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and incapacitations.

Retributive justice is a legal concept whereby the criminal offender receives punitive damages proportional or similar to the crime. As opposed to revenge, retribution—and thus retributive …

retribution, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary