Definition of reprisal
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
4a : 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
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
- Which of the following refers to thin, bending ice, or to the act of running over such ice?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
A selection of words from the chillier parts of t...
Take the quizName that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your h...
Take the quizTrue or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quizSCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share reprisal
Time Traveler for reprisal
The first known use of reprisal was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century