Revanche

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹəˈvɑnt͡ʃ/

Definitions

1. An approach designed to reclaim what was once lost encompasses efforts to restore position or honor typically through competitive means
2. A tactic aimed at overturning past misfortunes combines elements of retaliation with the pursuit of reestablishing former advantages
3. A strategy focused on regaining lost status or victory involves utilizing both competitive actions and resolving past grievances to restore one's former standing

Etymology: The French "revanche" came to mean "revenge" in the sense of a return match, and that is the twist that makes it worth a closer look. In card and board games, a "revanche" was a second game played to win back what was lost in the first, so the word described a rematch rather than a vendetta. It then took on the wider sense of getting even, which is where English borrowed it. English took the word directly from French, and it kept the sporting echo alongside the grudge. Today it usually names a determined effort to recover lost ground, whether in politics, sport or business, rather than a personal act of vengeance. "Revenge" in English comes from the same root, but it reached the language through a different route, so the two words are doublets: one came in from French, the other was shaped over time from the older form that also gave rise to "revenge" in English.

Synonyms: revenge, retaliation