a retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime
an action that is retaliatory in nature
an act of self-help by the injured state, responding after an unsatisfied demand to an act contrary to international law on the part of the offending state
an enforcement measure under the law of armed conflict consisting of an act which would otherwise be unlawful but which is justified as a response to the unlawful acts of an enemy
an otherwise illegal act resorted to after the adverse party has himself indulged in illegal acts and refused to desist therefrom after being called upon to do so
a retaliation, an injury done in return for an injury, especially a military action taken in retaliation
an act of retaliation, getting even
In warfare, a reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of the laws of war to punish an enemy for breaking the laws of war. A legally executed reprisal is not an atrocity.