Vendetta
/vɛnˈdɛtə/noun
A prolonged feud or blood revenge between families or groups.
Did you know?Vendetta entered English from Italian, where it originally meant a personal act of revenge, and it’s tied to the same Latin root that gave English words like vindicate and revenge.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
vindicta
“punishment; claim for justice; revenge”
Medieval Latin
Latin
vindicare
“to claim, avenge, or set free”
14th-16th Century
Italian
vendetta
“a revenge, especially a family blood-feud”
17th Century
English
vendetta
“a prolonged bitter feud or private revenge”
Modern English
English
vendetta
“a long-running feud or campaign of revenge”