REJOINDER

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

I. (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(law) a pleading made by a defendant in response to the plaintiff's replication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("rejoinder" is a kind of...):

pleading ((law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

Example:

it brought a sharp rejoinder from the teacher

Synonyms:

comeback; counter; rejoinder; replication; retort; return; riposte

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("rejoinder" is a kind of...):

reply; response (the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rejoinder"):

back talk; backtalk; lip; mouth; sass; sassing (an impudent or insolent rejoinder)

Credits

Context examples:

"That's better," was the mollified rejoinder.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"Very true, very true. What Miss Anne says, is very true," was Mr Shepherd's rejoinder, and "Oh! certainly," was his daughter's; but Sir Walter's remark was, soon afterwards—"The profession has its utility, but I should be sorry to see any friend of mine belonging to it."

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Ah! By my word! there is something singular about you, said he: you have the air of a little nonnette; quaint, quiet, grave, and simple, as you sit with your hands before you, and your eyes generally bent on the carpet (except, by-the-bye, when they are directed piercingly to my face; as just now, for instance); and when one asks you a question, or makes a remark to which you are obliged to reply, you rap out a round rejoinder, which, if not blunt, is at least brusque.