payback

n. something bad that you do to someone because they did something bad to you first.

n. an act of revenge or retribution for a perceived wrong or injury.

“He felt that losing his job was payback for the way he treated his staff.”

“The rival firm's aggressive marketing campaign was seen by many as direct payback for the patent infringement lawsuit filed earlier that year.”

Informal

n. the profit or benefit you get from spending money or time on something.

n. the recovery of an initial investment or the financial return generated by a project.

“The company expects a full payback on the new machinery within three years.”

“Analysts are questioning the long-term payback of the merger, given the significant integration costs and cultural friction between the two organisations.”