retribution.

Punishment or adverse repayment imposed for a perceived wrong.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• demand for retribution
• retribution for wrongdoing

On the page

The demand for retribution focused on the wrong already done rather than preventing a future one.

The argument questioned whether retribution for wrongdoing was justified under the proposed standard.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: responsibility analysis, evidence qualification, ethical distinction, institutional judgment. Disciplines: academic writing, ethics, legal-administrative reasoning. Commonness: moderately common.