Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

retribute en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈɹɛtɹɪbjuːt/

Etymology

Latin retributus, past participle of retribuo (“to retribute”); prefix re- + tribuo (“to bestow, assign, pay”). See tribute.

Meanings

  1. To pay back; to give in return, as payment, reward, or punishment; to requite.
    • retribute to him, so far as calm reason and conscience dictate, what is proportionate to his transgression 1691, [John Locke], Some Considerations of the Consequences of the Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value of Money. […], London: […] Awnsham and John Churchill, […], published 1692, →OCLC:
    • to retribute someone for their kindness
    • to retribute just punishment to a criminal

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
retributes Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
retributing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
retributed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
retributed Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

retributer

Relateds

retribution

Translations (2)

es retribuir (to give in return) · pt retribuir (to give in return)