retributionret‧ri‧bu‧tion /ˌretrəˈbjuːʃən/ noun [singular, uncountable] 
Victims are demanding retribution for the terrorist attacks. divine retribution (=punishment by God)
WORD ORIGINretribution
Origin:
1300-1400 Late Latin retributio, from Latin retribuere ‘to pay back’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Employees need to be able to express their feelings without fear of retribution.
- Some officials felt that the bombings were retribution for the killing of the hijackers.
- The earthquake was seen by some people as divine retribution.
- An outraged public demanded swift justice and retribution.
- For Mankins, seeing Harris die was simple retribution for a heinous crime.
- If California fell into the ocean, would it be divine retribution for making movies like this?
- It carried with it, implicitly, the threat of extreme retribution.
- The child who has been bumped typically views the act as intentional and worthy of appropriate retribution.
- The Justice Model's philosophy consequently relied heavily on retribution as at least a partial justification for punishment.
- There were few things more calculated to endear a prince to his subjects than a display of stern retribution on unjust officials.
Longman Language Activatora punishment
something that is done to someone in order to punish them: · In cases of sheep-stealing, the usual punishment was hanging.punishment for: · Punishments for bad behavior can range from time-outs to withdrawing privileges, such as televisioncapital punishment (=the system of punishing people by killing them): · Some people are demanding the return of capital punishment for murder.corporal punishment (=punishing people, especially children, by hitting them): · Corporal punishment was banned in Sweden in 1979.
an amount of money that you are ordered to pay as a punishment: get a fine (=be told to pay a fine): · I got a £100 fine for speeding.fine for (doing) something: · A fine will be imposed for overstaying your visa.· The penalty is a $250 fine for the first offense.a heavy fine (=a large fine): · There are heavy fines for drink-driving.
an official punishment for someone who breaks a law, a rule, or a legal agreement: penalty for: · The penalty for treason was always death.the death penalty (=a law that says you can be killed as a punishment): · Drug smugglers face the death penalty if they are caught.a heavy/severe/stiff penalty: · The contract includes stiff financial penalties for failure to complete the work on time.
a punishment given by a judge in a court: a prison sentence: · He got a 10-year prison sentence.the death sentence (=when someone is punished by being killed): · The victim's family are demanding the death sentence for his attacker.a life sentence (=the punishment of spending the rest of your life in prison): · Berger is serving a life sentence for the murders.a heavy/light sentence (=a long or short time in prison): · Evans was given a light sentence in return for giving information to the police.
formal when someone is severely punished for what they have done: · Employees need to be able to express their feelings without fear of retribution.retribution for: · Some officials felt that the bombings were retribution for the killing of the hijackers.divine retribution (=retribution from God): · The earthquake was seen by some people as divine retribution.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY divine retribution (=punishment by God)COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
severe punishment for something very seriousretribution for divine retribution (=punishment by God)· The Four Horse Men of the Apocalypse apparently felt it inappropriate to arrive as a messenger of divine retribution.· It is, I suppose, divine retribution for the treatment your whiteness receives in certain doctors' surgeries.· Another piece of divine retribution for all those hours spent ticking others off came relatively recently.· If California fell into the ocean, would it be divine retribution for making movies like this?
Victims are demanding retribution for the terrorist attacks. divine retribution (=punishment by God)