Vindicative

adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Vindicating, having a tendency to vindicate.

    "page 316: A vindicative war can be defined as one in which we strive to gain that which is our own or which is due to us. […] page 328: […] since that is a vindicative war in which we strive to gain what is our own, but a punitive war is one in which a penalty is exacted from one against whom the war is brought; […]"

  2. 2
    Vindictive, excessively vengeful.

    "He in heat of action Is more vindicative than jealous love."

Example

More examples

"page 316: A vindicative war can be defined as one in which we strive to gain that which is our own or which is due to us. […] page 328: […] since that is a vindicative war in which we strive to gain what is our own, but a punitive war is one in which a penalty is exacted from one against whom the war is brought; […]"

Etymology

From Middle French vindicatif, from Medieval Latin vindicativus.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.