1
: one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent
the schools are victims of the social system
: such as
a(1)
: one that is injured, destroyed, or sacrificed under any of various conditions
a victim of cancer
a victim of the auto crash
a murder victim
(2)
: one that is subjected to oppression, hardship, or mistreatment
a frequent victim of political attacks
b
: one that is tricked or duped
a con man's victim
2
: a living being sacrificed to a deity or in the performance of a religious rite
Examples of victim in a Sentence
the victims of a hoax
He was the victim of an error.
Recent Examples on the Web
The identity of the victim and his condition have not been released.
—
Mark Price, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
During the holiday, when religious dinners known as Passover Seder are held, the Jewish community will be thinking this year of the hostages still held captive by Hamas and of other victims of the war.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Portillo focuses on the testimonies of the families of the victims to unravel the layers of complicity that allowed these murders to continue.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 21 Apr. 2024
Only one of the six surviving victims remains in critical condition.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
All three of the victims were at a party at the Singleleaf Lane location, police wrote in the release.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
The sheriff's office believes multiple suspects may have been involved, and that there may be additional victims out there.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 21 Apr. 2024
Tempe police discovered the victim’s naked body on the floor of a motel room during a wellness check on the afternoon of Aug. 7, 2020.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 20 Apr. 2024
Although authorities have not confirmed the victims' identities, Dennis Prince's law firm, Prince Law Group, has a statement at the top of its website addressing the shooting.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Mark Price, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
During the holiday, when religious dinners known as Passover Seder are held, the Jewish community will be thinking this year of the hostages still held captive by Hamas and of other victims of the war.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Portillo focuses on the testimonies of the families of the victims to unravel the layers of complicity that allowed these murders to continue.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 21 Apr. 2024
Only one of the six surviving victims remains in critical condition.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
All three of the victims were at a party at the Singleleaf Lane location, police wrote in the release.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
The sheriff's office believes multiple suspects may have been involved, and that there may be additional victims out there.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 21 Apr. 2024
Tempe police discovered the victim’s naked body on the floor of a motel room during a wellness check on the afternoon of Aug. 7, 2020.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 20 Apr. 2024
Although authorities have not confirmed the victims' identities, Dennis Prince's law firm, Prince Law Group, has a statement at the top of its website addressing the shooting.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'victim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near victim
Cite this Entry
“Victim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victim. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
victim
noun
vic·tim
ˈvik-təm 
1
: a living being offered as a sacrifice in a religious rite
2
: an individual injured or killed (as by disease or accident)
3
: a person cheated, fooled, or harmed by another
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