There is a medieval ring to this word: retribution: it evokes dark feuds in the Italy of the late Middle Age, just before the Renaissance woke up to the rediscovery of antiquity. We may think of those great families bent on revenge for some sinister hidden murder, and ponder on the condottieri (another interesting word) leading band of assassins for the cause of their lord…

“Retribution may refer to:

• Punishment
• Retributive justice, a theory of justice that considers proportionate punishment an acceptable response to crime
  • Divine retribution: retributive justice in a religious context
• Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance” (Wikipedia)

“Etymology

Latin, from retribuere (“assign again”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛtrɪˈbjuʃɒn/

Noun

retribution (plural retributions)

1. Punishment inflicted in the spirit of moral outrage or personal vengeance.  

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:revenge

Hypernyms

• punishment“

(Wiktionary)

Quote:

• 1999, Barbara Hanawalt, Medieval crime and social control, p.73:

  1. Revenge is for an injury; retribution is for a wrong.

  2. Retribution sets an internal limit to the amount of the punishment according to the seriousness of the wrong; revenge need not.

  3. Revenge is personal; the agent of retribution need have no special or personal tie to the victim of the wrong for which he exacts retribution.

  4. Revenge involves a particular emotional tone, pleasure in the suffering of another, while retribution need involve no emotional tone.

Image: Blues vs. Greens (Byzantine Empire) at http://www.swide.com/art-culture/history/romeo-and-juliet-montagues-v-capulets-and-other-famous-gang-rivalries/2013/04/30