Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Old French
Origin: reprisaille, from Old Italian, from riprendere 'to take back'

reprisal

 noun
     
re‧pri‧sal [uncountable and countable]
something violent or harmful which you do to punish someone for something bad they have done to you [↪ revenge, retaliation]:
They didn't tell the police for fear of reprisal.
reprisal against
There were reprisals against unarmed civilians.
in reprisal (for something)
Alfred was shot in reprisal for the killing of a rival gang member.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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