Etymology of the English word vindictive
the English word
vindictivederived from the Latin word
vindicta (ceremonial act claiming as free one contending wrongly enslaved; vengeance)
derived from the Late Latin word
vindicare (claim, vindicate; punish)
derived from the Latin word
vindex (defender, protector)
derived from the Latin word
dicere (to say, to speak; name, call; appoint; say, declare, state; talk, speak; make speech)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*deik- (to show, to pronounce solemnly; to throw)
Date
The earliest known usage of vindictive in English dates from the 17th century.
Usage
Word found in Modern English
