vendetta

Summary

Podcast Summary: Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Episode: Vendetta
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Peter Sokolowski (Merriam-Webster)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day focuses on the term "vendetta"—exploring its definition, origin, historical context, and related words in the English language. The podcast aims to enrich listeners’ vocabulary and delve into the fascinating stories behind everyday words.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Word Definition and Usage

• Vendetta is a noun referring to:
  • An active and mutual hatred between two families or groups, especially a blood feud.
  • A prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful, or hostile acts.
  • A strong commitment to carrying out such acts.
• Notable Example Sentence:
  • "Rita publicly refused a vendetta at his funeral. She wouldn't ask her sons to avenge him, even though that wasn't just normal for the time it was expected." (00:46)

2. Etymology and Historical Context

• Borrowing & Spelling:
  • English speakers adopted “vendetta” directly from Italian in the 19th century. The spelling has remained unchanged. (00:58)
• Original Meaning:
  • In Italian (especially referring to Corsican culture), the word initially meant revenge within the context of family or clan feuds. (01:10)
• Expansion of Meaning:
  • The definition later extended to similar acts of retaliation beyond family feuds, eventually encompassing any form of ongoing vengeful behavior. (01:15)

3. Linguistic Connections

• Word Roots:
  • Vendetta comes from the Latin verb vindicta, signifying revenge or vindication. (01:22)
  • Related English words include: avenge, revenge, vengeance, vindicate, and vindictive. (01:30)

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the definition:
  • “Vendetta is a noun. It refers to an active and mutual hatred between two families or groups, also known as a blood feud.”
    (Host, 00:10)
• On real-life application:
  • “Rita publicly refused a vendetta at his funeral. She wouldn't ask her sons to avenge him, even though that wasn't just normal for the time it was expected.”
    (Host, 00:46 - referencing Rita Halash’s novel, Deep)
• On origins:
  • “English speakers borrowed the word vendetta, spelling and all, from Italian in the 19th century.”
    (Host, 00:58)
  • “Vendetta ultimately traces to the Latin verb vindicta, meaning revenge or vindication.”
    (Host, 01:22)
• On word families:
  • “That Latin word is also in the family tree of other English terms related to getting even, including avenge, revenge, vengeance, vindicate, and vindictive.”
    (Host, 01:30)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:06 – Episode introduction and the word of the day: vendetta
• 00:10 – Definition of vendetta
• 00:46 – Example usage from literature
• 00:58 – Borrowing from Italian and original context
• 01:22 – Latin roots and related English words
• 01:45 – End of main content

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Episode Tone & Language

Peter Sokolowski delivers the segment in an informative and accessible manner, weaving together clear explanations, cultural context, and etymological detail to make the word both memorable and relatable.

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For daily vocabulary enrichment, you can visit Merriam-Webster.com for more word definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

It's the Word of the day podcast for January 16th today's Word is vendetta. Spelled V E N D E T T A vendetta is a noun. It refers to an active and mutual hatred between two families or groups, also known as a blood feud. It can also refer to an often prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful or hostile acts, or to a commitment to carrying out such acts. Here's the word used in a sentence from Deep a novel by Rita Halash. Rita publicly refused a vendetta at his funeral. She wouldn't ask her sons to avenge him, even though that wasn't just normal for the time it was expected. English speakers borrowed the word 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. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

[A]

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