a. Also 6 vendicatife, -yue, vindicatyfe, -iue. [ad. OF. vindicatif (also mod.F.), or med.L. vindicātīv-us: see VINDICATE v. and -IVE. So Sp. vindicativo, It. vendicativo.]
† 1. = VINDICTIVE a. 1. Obs. (Common c. 1590–1690.) a. Of persons (or things personified).
1521. Bradshaw’s St. Werburge (Chetham Soc.), 211. O cruell deth, O theffe vindicatyfe, To persons vertuous ennemy mortall.
1584. Leycester’s Commw. (1641), 13. This his sonne, who … is … farre more insolent, cruell, vindicative,… and fox-like then ever hee was.
a. 1637. N. Ferrar, trans. Valdés’ 110 Consid. (1638), 89. Understanding, that he doth not pardon, when hee is offended, wee hold him for cruell, inhumane, and vindicative.
1662. J. Bargrave, Pope Alex. VII. (1867), 53. Some people believe him vindicative; but his anger is only a soden impetus.
1693. Dryden, Disc. Satire, Ess. (ed. Ker), II. 80. I…, being naturally vindicative, have suffered in silence, and possessed my soul in quiet.
† b. Of nature, disposition, etc. Obs.
1549. Compl. Scotl., xii. 101. For thai ar of ane vendicatife nature. Ibid., xx. 177. My vendicatyue particular affectione.
1628. Donne, Serm., xxix. (1640), 287. They discerned not between a zealous and a vindicative spirit.
1646. Sir J. Temple, Irish Reb., 68. They let loose the reins of their own vindicative humour and irreconcilable hatred.
1689. Shadwell, Bury F., IV. He is one of the Nobless, and his nature’s vindicative in Honour’s cause.
a. 1734. North, Examen, III. vii. § 79 (1740), 566. When Persons are fallen upon in our Heat, as upon the vindicative Turns of Parties.
2. = VINDICTIVE a. 2. Now rare. (Common in 17th cent.)
1610. Bp. Carleton, Jurisdict., 31. Vindicative power or coaction belongs not to the Church.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., Disc. iv. 120. Repentance being in very many actions a primitive duty, afflictive, and vindicative.
1678. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, IV. III. vi. 200. That wherein he perpetually is mistaken, is the making of Non-election or Negative Reprobation a Vindicative act, the confounding it with the judicial Sentence of Damnation.
1812. Ann. Reg., Gen. Hist., 78. His act, which he always defended as vindicative of the injury he had sustained.
1854. Trench, Synon. N. T., Ser. I. (1860), 27. The vindicative character of the punishment is the predominant thought.
b. esp. As an epithet of justice.
1626. J. Yates, Ibis ad Cæsarem, II. 30. God may separate from any creature in regard of his love,… and yet not be angry with them, which alwayes presupposeth vindicative iustice or fatherly castigations.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. liii. 150. In proceedings in cases of vindicative justice delinquents might seem to be left rather to the fury then mercy of the law.
1679. Mansell, Narr. Popish Plot, Addr. c 2 b. They will find it ill striving against the Stream and Current of Vindicative Justice.
3. Serving to vindicate by defence or assertion.
1660. T. White (title), Religion and Reason mutually corresponding and assisting each other, a Reply to the Vindicative Answer lately published against a Letter [etc.].
1863. H. Cox, Instit., I. ix. 204. We have to treat of the vindicative powers of each House; that is, its independent power to vindicate its authority.
Hence Vindicativeness, vindictiveness.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., V. Ded. Whilest his ignorant auditors condemned their mutual vindicativeness, the wiser sort admired … their peaceable dispositions.
1701. Shaftesb., Charac., III. 306. They … extol Voluptuousness, Wilfulness, Vindicativeness, Arbitrariness, Vain-Glory.
