What does retribution in the context of punishment signify?

Retribution in the context of punishment is primarily understood as a punitive measure that reflects society's condemnation of an offender's actions. It serves to express society's moral outrage and reinforces the notion that certain behaviors are unacceptable. The concept of retribution is rooted in the idea that individuals who commit crimes deserve to be punished for their actions, which can serve to restore a sense of balance in the community and validate the feelings of victims and society as a whole.

This approach is fundamentally different from aspects such as financial compensation, community service, or rehabilitation that focus either on restorative justice or reformative measures for the offender. Instead, retribution centers on the past actions of the individual and emphasizes the principle that punishment is deserved as a form of societal response to wrongdoing.