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Glite Dictionary
retaliatory eviction

retaliatory eviction

8.9
A landlord forces a tenant to leave because they complained or used their rights
  • noun
  • /rɪˈtæliəˌtɔri ɪˈvɪkʃən/
  • Formal
translation icon : desalojo retaliatorio
  • Many tenants fear a retaliatory eviction if they report issues such as mold or broken heating systems.

Examples

  • Landlords may face legal consequences for a retaliatory eviction in response to a tenant exercising their rights.

  • In addition to prohibitions on discriminatory evictions, state laws also prohibit retaliatory evictions.

    Academic text (1991)

  • A retaliatory eviction occurs when a landlord forces a tenant out after they complain about unsafe living conditions.

Surface Forms

retaliatory eviction singular
retaliatory evictions plural

Morphology

retaliatory + eviction

The noun phrase combines 'retaliatory' (done in response to a harmful action) with 'eviction' (legal removal from property), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it is an eviction carried out as retaliation. This adjective+noun composition is regular and cross-linguistically common; any legal nuances (e.g. illegality in some jurisdictions) are additional details rather than blocking basic compositional understanding.

Etymology

Retaliatory eviction paints a clear, simple picture: retaliatory means 'as revenge' and eviction means 'being forced to leave your home'. So it means a landlord forces a tenant out to punish them for complaining, and many places say this is 'against the law'.