vandal

noun

van·​dal ˈvan-dᵊl 

1

Vandal : a member of a Germanic people who lived in the area south of the Baltic Sea between the Vistula and the Oder rivers, overran Gaul, Spain, and northern Africa in the fourth and fifth centuries a.d., and in 455 sacked Rome

2

: one who willfully or ignorantly destroys, damages, or defaces property belonging to another or to the public

vandal adjective

often Vandal

Vandalic

van-ˈda-lik 

adjective

Synonyms of vandal

• defacer
• destroyer

Examples of vandal in a Sentence

Vandals defaced the school's walls.

a group of vandals broke into the school and painted graffiti on the walls

Recent Examples on the Web

Cops arrested a pair of teen vandals Thursday and charged them with desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas during a two-day attack, police and city officials said. —Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

Over the next two months or so, work will focus inside the 190,000-square-foot, bunker-like structure — vacant for nearly two decades and long the target of vandals and the object of thieves who stripped the concrete structure of anything of value. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2026

Irwin appeared in 19 games in two seasons with the Vandals, starting 2 games while totaling 49 tackles, an interception, 3 passes defended and a fumble recovery. —Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026

This alleged vandal demanded to be called what name? —FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin Vandalī (plural) (Latin Vindilī, Vandiliī), probably borrowed from Germanic *wand-il-, noun derivative from a verbal base *wend- "wind, wrap, turn, move" (whence Old English windan "to twist, move with speed or force"), as in *auza-wandil-, perhaps, "dawn-wanderer," name of a star and mythological figure (whence Old Norse Aurvandill, Old English ēarendel) — more at wind entry 3

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for vandal

• candle
• handle
• sandal
• scandal
• panhandle

Kids Definition

vandal

noun

van·​dal ˈvan-dᵊl 

1

capitalized : a member of a Germanic people overrunning Gaul, Spain, and northern Africa in the fourth and fifth centuries a.d.

2

: a person who destroys or damages property on purpose

Etymology

from Latin Vandalii (plural) "The Vandals"; of Germanic origin

Word Origin

The Vandals were a Germanic people who originally lived in northern Europe. In the fourth and fifth centuries, however, other barbarian peoples, especially the Huns, forced the Vandals to migrate westward and southward through what are now the lands of France and Spain. They finally settled in northern Africa. But as they migrated, the Vandals did not just pass through an area. They destroyed many cities and towns. They probably were no worse than other barbarians, but they became widely known for destruction. This probably happened because they invaded and looted the city of Rome in 455. They destroyed or ruined much of what they could not take with them. The Vandals were later defeated by the Roman army but their bad reputation caused their name to be used for "a deliberately destructive person."

Legal Definition

vandal

noun

van·​dal ˈvand-ᵊl 

: a person who willfully destroys, damages, or defaces property belonging to another or to the public

Etymology

Vandal, member of a Germanic tribe who sacked Rome in a.d. 455