Retribute
/ˈriːtrɪbjuːt/noun
To give or inflict in return, especially as payment or punishment.
Did you know?Retribute comes from Latin retribuere, used for repaying debts or returning what is owed, and its root is the same one behind everyday words like *tribute* and *contribute*—language built around what must be given back.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*trebʰ-
“to give, share, or allot”
Latin
Latin
tribuere
“to assign, bestow, or pay”
Latin
Latin
retribuere
“to pay back, return, or recompense”
Middle English
English
retributen
“to repay or requite”
Modern English
English
retribute
“to give or inflict in return”
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