retributive
adjective
re·trib·u·tive
ri-ˈtri-byə-tiv 
: of, relating to, or marked by retribution
retributively
adverb
Examples of retributive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI should I be confirmed as FBI director.
—
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2025
To be sure, some retributive violence has clearly taken place, and thousands of Syrians fearful of militant control have fled to Lebanon.
—Sam Heller, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
By then, President Franklin Pierce and his secretary of war, Jefferson Davis, had already endorsed a retributive expedition of their own against the Lakota.
—Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The twist of the knife that unleashes Sienna's retributive fury is a revelation that the gruesome pair killed, beheaded, and seemingly stripped the flesh from Jonathan's skull.
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—EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for retributive
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Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2025
To be sure, some retributive violence has clearly taken place, and thousands of Syrians fearful of militant control have fled to Lebanon.
—Sam Heller, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
By then, President Franklin Pierce and his secretary of war, Jefferson Davis, had already endorsed a retributive expedition of their own against the Lakota.
—Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The twist of the knife that unleashes Sienna's retributive fury is a revelation that the gruesome pair killed, beheaded, and seemingly stripped the flesh from Jonathan's skull.
Want more movie news?
—EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for retributive
Cite this Entry
“Retributive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retributive. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
retributive
adjective
re·trib·u·tive
ri-ˈtrib-yət-iv
: of, relating to, or marked by retribution
retributive justice
retributively
adverb
Legal Definition
retributive
adjective
re·trib·u·tive
ri-ˈtri-byə-tiv
: of, relating to, or marked by retribution
retributive justice
retributively
adverb
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