vendetta

[ ven-det-uh ]
/ vɛnˈdɛt ə /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR vendetta ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.
any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like: a political vendetta.

Origin of vendetta

1850–55; < Italian < Latin vindicta vengeance; see vindictive

OTHER WORDS FROM vendetta

ven·det·tist, noun

Words nearby vendetta

venda, vendace, vendean, vendee, vender, vendetta, vendeuse, vendible, vendidad, vending machine, vendition

Words related to vendetta

grudge, squabble, hostility, revenge, rivalry, quarrel, bickering, discord, dispute, disagreement, argument, fight, dissension, fracas, strife, conflict, row

Example sentences from the Web for vendetta

British Dictionary definitions for vendetta

vendetta
/ (vɛnˈdɛtə) /

noun

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
any prolonged feud, quarrel, etc

Derived forms of vendetta

vendettist, noun

Word Origin for vendetta

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