retribute

English

Etymology

Latin retributus, past participle of retribuo (“I retribute”); prefix re- + tribuo (“I bestow, assign, pay”). See tribute.

Verb

retribute (third-person singular simple present retributes, present participle retributing, simple past and past participle retributed)

  1. To pay back; to give in return, as payment, reward, or punishment; to requite.
    to retribute one for his kindness
    to retribute just punishment to a criminal
    (Can we find and add a quotation of John Locke to this entry?)

Translations

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for retribute in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.)

Anagrams

Latin

Participle

retribūte

  1. vocative masculine singular of retribūtus
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