Vindictiveness

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv.nəs/

Definitions

1. The quality of having a strong desire to seek revenge or to cause harm in return for a perceived wrong
2. The characteristic of holding grudges and acting with a desire for retaliation against others
3. The tendency to be spiteful and motivated by a wish to punish those who have caused offense

Etymology: "Vindictiveness" is a plain formation: the adjective "vindictive" with the suffix "-ness" attached to turn a quality into a noun. The adjective itself comes from "vindictive," which carries the sense of seeking vengeance, and that root connects it to "vindicate," a word that once meant to avenge or punish before it came to mean to clear someone's name. The suffix "-ness," from Old English, has been used for centuries to turn adjectives into nouns describing a state or quality, so "vindictiveness" names the disposition of someone who is vindictive. The word is a straightforward English compound of an existing adjective and this suffix, which is why its meaning follows so directly from its parts.

Synonyms: spitefulness, vengefulness, malice, resentfulness, revengefulness

Antonyms: forgiveness, magnanimity, leniency, kindness, charitableness