Meaning & use
retribution
Punishment inflicted on someone as deserved payback for a wrong or criminal act they committed.
See it in a sentence
The victim's family called for swift retribution against the men responsible for the attack.
He feared retribution from his former colleagues after reporting the fraud.
A note on using this word
Retribution emphasizes deserved punishment as a form of justice, distinguishing it from revenge, which suggests a more personal or emotional motive.
Words with a similar meaning
vengeancepunishment
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “retribution”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.