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vendetta

noun

ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈde-tə How to pronounce vendetta (audio)
Synonyms of vendettanext
1
: blood feud
2
: an often prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful, or hostile acts or exchange of such acts
waged a personal vendetta against those who opposed his nomination

Did you know?

English speakers borrowed vendetta, spelling and all, from Italian in the 19th century; literally meaning "revenge," vendetta first referred specifically to Italian and especially Corsican family- or clan-based feuds. It later extended in meaning to cover the acts that tend to feature in such feuds, and later still expanded further to refer to a commitment to carrying out such acts. Vendetta ultimately traces to the Latin verb vindicta, meaning "revenge" or "vindication." That Latin word is also in the family tree of other English terms related to getting even, including avenge, revenge, vengeance, vindicate, and vindictive.

Examples of vendetta in a Sentence

He waged a personal vendetta against his rivals in the Senate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Already harboring her own personal vendetta against Roper, Burr visits Pine in Switzerland and convinces him to infiltrate Roper’s business and avenge Sophie’s death. —Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 9 Jan. 2026 And so to end up with the one person who had a straight-up personal vendetta against me, and then Steven, who kind of could see the player in me. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 There were festering family vendettas; botched forensics; staggering police failings. —Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025 Flemyng stars as Steven Wyles, who is causing the team of Explosives Officer, or Expo, Lana Washington, portrayed by McClure, all sorts of headaches with his sinister vendetta. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vendetta

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "retribution, revenge, blood feud," going back to Latin vindicta — more at vindictive

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vendetta was in 1855

Rhymes for vendetta

See All Rhymes for vendetta

Browse Nearby Words

Vendée
vendetta
vendeuse
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Vendetta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vendetta. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

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Kids Definition

vendetta

noun
ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈdet-ə How to pronounce vendetta (audio)
1
: a feud between different families
2
: a series of acts marked by bitter hostility and motivated by a desire for revenge
waged a personal vendetta against those who opposed his candidacy
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