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
Meg Hansen, National Review, 7 July 2024
This official is not appointed to be an attack dog for the mayor’s personal legal woes and vendettas.
—Charles King, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2024
Lee has denied legal wrongdoing and accused Yoon’s government of pursuing a political vendetta.
—Hyung-Jin Kim and Jiwon Song, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024
Munir’s supporters believe his advocacy for people abducted by the Special Forces in 1998 torpedoed Muchdi’s army career, spurring a personal vendetta.
—Krithika Varagur, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for vendetta 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vendetta.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Vendetta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vendetta. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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vendetta
noun
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