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Definition of "retribution" []

  • Something justly deserved; recompense. (noun)
  • Something given or demanded in repayment, especially punishment. (noun)
  • Theology Punishment or reward distributed in a future life based on performance in this one. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "retribution" in a sentence
  • "Boehner says NUH-UH: Jim Jordan and I may not always agree on strategy, but we are friends and allies, and the word retribution is not in my vocabulary."
  • "It also claimed responsibility for the bombings in Uganda during the World Cup last year, part of what it called retribution for the presence of African Union peacekeepers in Somalia."
  • "But I feel this type of retribution is a far more appropriate punishment for your threatened crime."