vendetta
noun
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Vendetta has been getting even in English since the 19th century, when it first was used to refer to feuds between different clans or families. It later extended in meaning to cover acts that are known to feature in feuds of all kinds. English speakers borrowed vendetta, spelling and all, from Italian, in which it means "revenge." It ultimately traces to the Latin verb vindicta, of the same meaning. That Latin word is also in the family tree of many other English terms related to getting even, including avenge, revenge, vengeance, vindicate, and vindictive.
Examples of vendetta in a Sentence
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
Some are looking to expose what goes on in the shadows for reasons ranging from ethics and curiosity to personal vendetta.
—Can Yildizli, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Similarly, the Department of Government Efficiency has focused on political vendettas instead of balancing the budget or solving real-world problems.
—Alexander Heffner, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025
This new, more critical vision of the tech founders risks echoing Musk’s vendetta against Hassabis—inflating contingent figures into supervillains, out of ambient anxiety.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vendetta
Cite this Entry
“Vendetta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vendetta. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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vendetta
noun
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