victim

noun

vic·​tim ˈvik-təm 

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

victimhood

ˈvik-təm-ˌhu̇d 

noun

Synonyms of victim

• fatality
• casualty
• prey

Examples of victim in a Sentence

the victims of a hoax

He was the victim of an error.

Recent Examples on the Web

The most serious injured victim is a 21-year-old woman who was struck in the chest and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026

In a statement on July 3, Precious Shipping thanked everyone involved in the repatriation process and expressed its condolences to the victims’ families. — Jintamas Saksornchai, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, caused chaos in the healthcare system by taking down the Change Healthcare payment network in February 2024 and was used against hundreds of other victims. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026

The victims were forestry workers and members of the AKUT rescue organization. — ABC News, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin victima; perhaps akin to Old High German wīh holy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing victim

• fall victim to
• fashion victim
• victim mentality

Rhymes for victim

• dictum

Kids 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