vendetta

[ ven-det-uh ]

noun

1. a private feud in which the members of the family of a murdered person seek to avenge the murder by killing the slayer or one of the slayer's relatives, especially such vengeance as once practiced in Corsica and parts of Italy.
2. any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like:

   a political vendetta.

vendetta

/ vɛnˈdɛtə /

noun

1. a private feud, originally between Corsican or Sicilian families, in which the relatives of a murdered person seek vengeance by killing the murderer or some member of his family
2. any prolonged feud, quarrel, etc

Derived Forms

• venˈdettist, noun

Other Words From

• ven·dettist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vendetta¹

First recorded in 1850–55; from Italian, from Latin vindicta “vengeance”; vindictive

Word History and Origins

Origin of vendetta¹

C19: from Italian, from Latin vindicta, from vindicāre to avenge; see vindicate

Example Sentences

Watergate originally sprang from Nixon’s vendetta against Daniel Ellsberg, whom he was determined to embarrass for exposing the Pentagon Papers.

From Los Angeles Times

He also accused Schiff of pursuing a vendetta against Trump to burnish his own career.

From Los Angeles Times

Morales argues the accusations are part of a right-wing vendetta against him by the interim president who replaced him in office after his resignation in 2019 following allegations of vote-rigging.

From BBC

Others, I should point out, felt it all amounted to a personal vendetta and was grossly unfair.

From BBC

Mr Turnbull, who is also area manager at Cleveland Fire Brigade, said personal vendettas and inter-community disputes also play a part.

From BBC

Related Words

• bickering
• grudge
• hostility
• quarrel
• revenge
• rivalry
• squabble