What does reprisal mean?
A reprisal is an act of retaliation taken in response to a wrong, threat, or attack. The term often refers to a punitive military response, as in an attack undertaken to retaliate against an earlier attack on one's forces or territory. More generally, it can describe any forceful or conspicuous act intended to punish another action, although it tends to imply a more serious and organized response than a minor act of resentment. The word is commonly encountered in political, military, diplomatic, and international-law discussions. In armed-conflict law, a reprisal is distinct from self-defence: it is force used to compel an opponent to stop an ongoing or continuing violation, rather than merely to defend against an immediate attack. The word consequently carries both a broad sense of retaliation and a narrower technical sense concerning lawful and unlawful force.
nounAn act of retaliation or punishment inflicted in response to a perceived wrong, especially a military attack undertaken in return for an earlier attack.
- An act of retaliation or punishment, especially a military response to an attack or other wrong.
"The government warned that further incursions would provoke a swift military reprisal."
"The rebel forces launched a reprisal against the government checkpoint."
"Her decision to leave was a reprisal for the discourtesy she had suffered at the meeting."
The plural is used for separate retaliatory acts, while the singular may also have a collective or general sense.
"The two sides threatened further reprisals unless the ceasefire was observed."
A reprisal has a precise legal meaning: in armed conflict, it is force used to stop a continuing violation, rather than merely to punish an earlier wrong.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reprisal come from?
The word entered English in the Middle English period through French, where it was associated with taking back or reclaiming something. Its modern sense of retaliation developed from the earlier idea of making a return or repayment. The English word belongs to a family derived from Latin prehendere, meaning “to seize” or “take hold,” through French forms meaning “to take back”; related English words include reprise and reprieve.
Related word forms
How reprisal is actually used
The word is chiefly formal and may suggest retaliation that is forceful, punitive, or intended to deter future actions. In military and international-law contexts, it can have a more precisely defined meaning.
Easily confused with reprisal
A reprisal is a retaliatory act, whereas a reprise is the act of taking back or renewing something, or a repeated passage of music.