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Retribution vs Avenge - What's the difference?

retribution | avenge |

As nouns the difference between retribution and avenge

is that retribution is remuneration, reward while avenge is a vengeance; a revenge.

As a verb avenge is

to take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.

retribution

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Punishment inflicted in the spirit of moral outrage or personal vengeance.
  • *1983 , Richard A. Posner, The economics of justice m p.208:
  • *: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.
  • * 1999 , , Medieval crime and social control , p.73:
  • *:1. Revenge is for an injury; retribution is for a wrong.
  • *:2. Retribution sets an internal limit to the amount of the punishment according to the seriousness of the wrong; revenge need not.
  • *:3. Revenge is personal; the agent of retribution need have no special or personal tie to the victim of the wrong for which he exacts retribution.
  • *:4. Revenge involves a particular emotional tone, pleasure in the suffering of another, while retribution need involve no emotional tone.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Hypernyms

    * punishment

    Derived terms

    * retributionist * retributive

    avenge

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A vengeance; a revenge.
  • Verb

  • To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.
  • to avenge the murder of his brother
  • * Milton
  • Avenge , O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones / Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold.
  • (obsolete) To take vengeance.
  • *
  • Thou shalt not avenge , nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
  • (archaic) To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on.
  • * Bishop Hall
  • thy judgment in avenging thine enemies

    Synonyms

    * (take vengeance) bewreak, get back at, retaliate, take revenge * (treat revengefully) spite * See also

    Anagrams

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