reprisal
noun
re·pri·sal
ri-ˈprī-zəl 
1
: a retaliatory act
2
: the regaining of something (as by recapture)
3
: something (such as a sum of money) given or paid in restitution
—usually used in plural
4
a
: the act or practice in international law of resorting to force short of war in retaliation for damage or loss suffered
b
: an instance of such action
5
obsolete
: prize
Examples of reprisal in a Sentence
Enemy officers suffered harsh reprisals.
The allies threatened economic reprisals against the invading country.
The hostages were taken in reprisal for the bombing.
Recent Examples on the Web
One questioned if actors had fears of reprisals for making movies with political messages.
—
Thomas Page, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
The description of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza, following the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as genocide has been highly contentious.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2025
The 2019 strikes did not cow Pakistan or separatist militants; the cycle of attack and reprisal persists, with each incident raising the stakes for escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
—Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Safety First Creating psychological safety means establishing environments where team members feel secure sharing concerns, ideas and complaints without fear of reprisal.
—Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
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Thomas Page, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
The description of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza, following the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as genocide has been highly contentious.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2025
The 2019 strikes did not cow Pakistan or separatist militants; the cycle of attack and reprisal persists, with each incident raising the stakes for escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
—Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Safety First Creating psychological safety means establishing environments where team members feel secure sharing concerns, ideas and complaints without fear of reprisal.
—Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Cite this Entry
“Reprisal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprisal. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reprisal
noun
re·pri·sal
ri-ˈprī-zəl
1
: the use of force short of war by one nation against another in return for damage or loss suffered
economic reprisals
2
: an act of getting back at especially in war
Legal Definition
reprisal
noun
re·pri·sal
ri-ˈprī-zəl
1
a
: the act or practice in international law of resorting to force short of war in retaliation for damage or loss suffered
b
: an instance of such action
2
: a retaliatory act
may not fire a complaining employee in reprisal
Etymology
Anglo-French reprisaile, reprisaille, from Middle French, from Old Italian ripresaglia, from ripreso, past participle of riprendere to take back, from ri- back + prendere to take, from Latin prehendere
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