retaliation

Language: en

🇺🇸 /riːˌtæliːˈeɪʃən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The action of returning a military attack; a counterattack.; The act of doing something harmful to someone because they have done something harmful to you; revenge or retribution.; In international trade, the imposition of tariffs or trade barriers by one country in response to similar actions by another country.; In law, an adverse action taken by an employer against an employee for engaging in a legally protected activity, such as filing a complaint or whistleblowing.; A response or reply that mirrors or matches the nature of an initial action, often in a tit-for-tat manner.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable / uncountable Plural: retaliations

Collocations

in retaliation foract of retaliationretaliation againstfear of retaliationin retaliationthreat of retaliation

Derivatives

retaliateretaliatoryretaliator

Synonyms

revengereprisalvengeanceretributionpaybackcounterattack

Antonyms

forgivenessconciliation

Commonly confused

revenge
EN: 'Revenge' is more personal and emotionally driven; 'retaliation' is more formal and often implies a proportional or strategic response.
reprisal
EN: 'Reprisal' specifically refers to a retaliatory act, often in military or international law contexts; 'retaliation' is broader in usage.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember that 'retaliation' has only one 'l' (not 'retalliation') and ends with '-tion' not '-sion'.

💬 Examples

  1. The country launched a missile strike in retaliation for the bombing of its capital.

  2. She feared retaliation from her former employer after filing the lawsuit.

  3. The government threatened retaliation if its trading partners did not lower their import duties.

  4. The employee claimed that his termination was an act of retaliation for reporting safety violations.

  5. The diplomat's harsh words were seen as retaliation for the insults directed at his country.