Vengeance

Definition

Punishment inflicted or retribution sought in return for a wrong or injury. It is the act of avenging oneself, often driven by anger or a desire to restore honor, though it differs from justice by being personal rather than legal.

Example Usage

The protagonist swore vengeance against those who destroyed her village.

Origin

From Old French 'vengeance,' derived from Latin 'vindicta' (vengeance, punishment).

Fun Fact

Many cultures have historical codes of vengeance, like the Norse blood feud and Mediterranean vendetta, which often escalated across generations.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

Related Terms

Beginner

Pro Bono

Legal work done for free, which sounds generous until you realize it is Latin for "for the good" and lawyers mostly use it to balance out the karmic debt of their regular billing rates. The legal profession's version of community service.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

vexatious litigant

A person who repeatedly files frivolous or harassing lawsuits, requiring court permission before filing new cases. It's the legal system's restraining order against people who've weaponized the complaint form.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

misdemeanour

A criminal offense that's serious enough to get you in trouble but not quite felony-level career-ruining. Think petty theft, vandalism, or public intoxication rather than grand larceny. In the US, misdemeanants typically serve less than a year in county jail and get to keep their voting rights, unlike their felonious counterparts.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

alleging

To claim something is true without yet providing conclusive proof, often used when accusing someone of wrongdoing while avoiding a defamation lawsuit. It's the legal equivalent of "I'm not saying, I'm just saying." This word appears approximately 47 times in every legal complaint and news article about misconduct.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

prosecute

To bring criminal charges against someone and pursue them through the justice system until conviction or acquittal. The government's official way of saying "we think you're guilty and we're going to prove it." Requires actual evidence, unlike TV shows where hunches and dramatic music suffice.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

affirmative defense

A defense strategy that essentially says "yes, I did it, but here's why I shouldn't be held liable." It's admitting the facts while introducing new ones that excuse or justify the behavior, like claiming self-defense in an assault case.

⚖️ Legal

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