victim
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vic·tim

noun \ˈvik-təm\

Definition of VICTIM

1
: a living being sacrificed to a deity or in the performance of a religious rite
2
: one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent <the schools are victims of the social system>: 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>
vic·tim·hood \-ˌhd\ noun

Examples of VICTIM

  1. the victims of a hoax
  2. He was the victim of an error.

Origin of VICTIM

Latin victima; perhaps akin to Old High German wīh holy
First Known Use: 15th century

Rhymes with VICTIM

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