vindicta

Latin

Etymology

From vim dicare, or vindicō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [wɪnˈdɪk.ta]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [vinˈdik.ta]

Noun

vindicta f (genitive vindictae); first declension

1. ceremonial staff used in manumission

   Synonym: festūca

2. punishment, vengeance

   Synonyms: vindicātiō, poena, supplicium, pūnītiō, mercēs, pretium, animadversus, malum

   Familia Griffini ad modum cxl dolo optimatum Sratewi ceciderunt; in cuius vindicta rex Grifinus Demetiam et Stratewi devastavit... ― The family of Gruffydd to the measure of 140 [people] fell by treachery to the nobles of Ystrad Tywi; in punishment for which, King Gruffydd devastated Dyfed and Ystrad Tywi... (Annales Cambriae, B Text)

3. redress, satisfaction
4. a means of vindication

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	vindicta	vindictae
genitive	vindictae	vindictārum
dative	vindictae	vindictīs
accusative	vindictam	vindictās
ablative	vindictā	vindictīs
vocative	vindicta	vindictae

Related terms

• vindicō

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: vindetta, vendetta
  • Italian: vendetta
    • → English: vendetta
    • → French: vendetta
    • → Occitan: vendeta
    • → Spanish: vendetta
  • Sicilian: vinnitta
• North Italian:
  • Piedmontese: vendëta, vendëtta
  • Venetan: vendeta
• Borrowings:
  • → French: vindicte
    • → Romanian: vindictă
  • → Portuguese: vindicta, vindita
  • → Spanish: vindicta

References

• “vindicta”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “vindicta”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "vindicta", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “vindicta”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “vindicta”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “vindicta”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vindicta. Doublet of vendetta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /binˈdiɡta/ [bĩn̪ˈd̪iɣ̞.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -iɡta
• Syllabification: vin‧dic‧ta

Noun

vindicta f (plural vindictas)

1. vengeance

   Synonym: venganza

   No importa cuan maña sea su voluntad de vindicta, a veces se debe conocer los límites propios

   It's not important how much good might flow from your wish for vengeance, sometimes you must know your limits

Further reading

• “vindicta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025