Reprisal

Pronunciation: /rɪˈpraɪzəl/

Definitions of reprisal

noun an act of retaliation

Example Sentences

A1 If you hit me, I will hit you back in reprisal.

A2 The country threatened reprisals if their demands were not met.

B1 The company took reprisal against the employee for speaking out against management.

B2 The government warned of military reprisals if the neighboring country continued its aggressive actions.

C1 The terrorist group carried out reprisals against civilians in retaliation for government airstrikes.

C2 The international community condemned the use of reprisals as a tactic in the conflict.

Examples of reprisal in a Sentence

formal The country warned of potential reprisals if the trade agreement was violated.

informal She was afraid of reprisals from her boss if she made a mistake.

slang I wouldn't mess with him if I were you, he's known for his brutal reprisals.

figurative His cold shoulder was a silent reprisal for her betrayal.

Grammatical Forms of reprisal

• past tense: reprised
• plural: reprisals
• comparative: more reprisal
• superlative: most reprisal
• present tense: reprise
• future tense: will reprise
• perfect tense: have reprised
• continuous tense: is reprising
• singular: reprisal
• positive degree: reprisal
• infinitive: to reprise
• gerund: reprising
• participle: reprising

Origin and Evolution of reprisal

First Known Use: 1400 year

Language of Origin: Middle French

Story behind the word: The word 'reprisal' originated from the Middle French word 'reprisaille', which comes from the Old Italian word 'ripresaglia'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to the act of taking something back or retaliation, 'reprisal' has evolved to encompass a broader meaning of retaliatory action in response to an injury or offense.