talion

T1A1L1I1O1N1
UK/ˈtalɪən/

noun

Retaliation; retribution.

OriginMiddle French talion ← Latin talis →
Scrabble 6
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Meanings

nountalion (uncountable)
  1. uncountableRetaliation; retribution.

    Simple talion may be fine for wartime, but politics between wars demands symmetry and a more elegant idea of justice, even to the point of masquerading, a bit decadently, as mercy.

    1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow

Origin

  1. Latintalis“such”
  2. Middle Frenchtalion
  3. Englishtalion

From Middle French talion, from Latin talis (“such”).

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

latinolationNoLItaNatolitinola
Cite this entry
APA

talion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talion

MLA

“talion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talion. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “talion,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talion.

Source: talion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.