Retaliate vs Retribution - What's the difference?
retaliate | retribution |
To do something harmful or negative to get revenge for some harm; to fight back or respond in kind to an injury or affront.
To repay or requite by an act of the same kind.
* Sir T. Herbert
* Jonathan Swift
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.
As a verb retaliate
is to do something harmful or negative to get revenge for some harm; to fight back or respond in kind to an injury or affront.As a noun retribution is
punishment inflicted in the spirit of moral outrage or personal vengeance.retaliate
English
Verb
(retaliat)- John insulted Peter to retaliate for Peter's acid remark earlier.
- One ambassador sent word to the duke's son that his visit should be retaliated .
- It is unlucky to be obliged to retaliate the injuries of authors, whose works are so soon forgotten that we are in danger of appearing the first aggressors.