SKIP TO CONTENT

revanchism

Revanchism is a political doctrine that aims to aggressively reclaim lost territory. Some experts describe Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine as an example of revanchism.

When a country practices revanchism, it's trying to get revenge by taking back territory lost in a war or social movement. The policy almost always involves another military conflict, and it's motivated by retribution as much as political or economic aims. The French root of revanchism is revanche, or "revenge," and the word was first used politically after the Franco-German War, when French nationalists were determined to reclaim territory that had been lost to Germany.

Definitions of revanchism
  1. noun
    a policy aimed at recovering a nation’s lost territory, especially in retaliation against an enemy nation
    synonyms: revanche
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘revanchism'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family