REPRISAL

reprisal

(noun) a retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

reprisal (countable and uncountable, plural reprisals)

An act of retaliation.

(archaic) Something taken from an enemy in retaliation.

(archaic) The act of taking something from an enemy by way of retaliation or indemnity.

Synonyms

• See also revenge

Anagrams

• Parliers, sarplier

Source: Wiktionary


Re*pris"al (r-priz"al), n. Etym: [F. repr, It. ripresaglia, rappresaglia, LL. reprensaliae, fr. L. reprehendere, reprehensum. See Reprehend, Reprise.]

1. The act of taking from an enemy by way of reteliation or indemnity. Debatable ground, on which incursions and reprisals continued to take place. Macaulay.

2. Anything taken from an enemy in retaliation.

3. The act of retorting on an enemy by inflicting suffering or death on a prisoner taken from him, in retaliation for an act of inhumanity. Vattel (Trans. )

4. Any act of retaliation. Waterland. Letters of marque and reprisal. See under Marque.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

31 March 2025

IMPROVISED

(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”


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