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 …

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. …

retribution (ˌrɛtrɪˈbjuːʃən) n 1. the act of punishing or taking vengeance for wrongdoing, sin, or injury 2. punishment or vengeance

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.

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.

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