retaliators
|re-tal-i-a-tors|
🇺🇸
/rɪˈtæl.i.eɪ.tərz/
🇬🇧
/rɪˈtæl.i.eɪ.təz/
(retaliator)
pay back in kind
Etymology
'retaliator' originates from Latin, specifically from the Late Latin verb 'retaliare' (also attested as Medieval Latin), where the prefix 're-' meant 'back' and the root related to 'talio' (from 'lex talionis') referred to 'retaliation' or 'retribution'.
'retaliare' passed into Late/Medieval Latin and then into English as the verb 'retaliate' (early modern English). The agent noun was formed by adding the suffix '-or', producing 'retaliator'.
Initially it meant 'to pay back in kind' (to return like for like); over time it retained that central sense but broadened to cover organized or legal/political retaliation as well as personal revenge.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'retaliator' — people who retaliate; persons who take revenge or respond to an injury or wrong by returning a similar harmful action.
The retaliators struck back after the attack, escalating the conflict.
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Noun 2
individuals or groups that carry out organized retaliatory actions (e.g., in military, political, or corporate contexts).
The authorities identified several retaliators believed to be responsible for the counterattacks.
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Last updated: 2026/01/10 05:26