retaliatory measures
Retaliatory measures, or reprisal, is a term used in labor law and international diplomacy law to describe unfriendly, but lawful measures adverse actions adopted by an authority or State, in response to actual or perceived threatening behavior exercised by another. In the context of diplomacy, retaliatory measures do not violate international obligations of the State. In the context of labor law, retaliation can be unlawful when an employer takes adverse actions against an employee for engaging in a protected activity.
In the context of international law, retaliatory measures can be embargoes, the suspension or breakdown of economic or diplomatic relations, withdrawal of an embassy, etc. The tit-for-tat tariffs between China and the United States during the Trump Presidency are also an example of retaliatory measures.
[Last reviewed in July of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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