vandalism

noun

van·​dal·​ism ˈvan-də-ˌli-zəm 

: willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property

Synonyms

• vandalization
• destruction
• defacement

Examples of vandalism in a Sentence

acts of theft and vandalism

He was arrested for vandalism.

Recent Examples on the Web

Scotts Valley Police Department Captain Scott Garner previously told Fox News Digital that officers determined that the weapon used was a pellet gun, and was investigated as an act of vandalism. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025

Twenty-one years is a long time to run a restaurant nightly, through the Great Recession of 2008, through vandalism during the Black Lives Matter protests, through the COVID-19 epidemic, a cataclysmic event that caused tens of thousands of restaurants nationally to shut their doors for good. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025

Though murder is the most severe metric, the deaths-only data approach entirely excludes acts of arson, assault, and vandalism, all typical tactics of leftist antifascist militants used to intimidate political opponents and pave the way for a revolution. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025

But thanks to an army of volunteer editors and a set of tools to quickly fix vandalism, the site flourished. —ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

vandal + -ism

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

vandalism

noun

van·​dal·​ism ˈvan-dᵊl-ˌiz-əm 

: intentional destruction or damage to property

Legal Definition

vandalism

noun

van·​dal·​ism ˈvand-ᵊl-ˌi-zəm 

: the willful or malicious destruction or defacement of property

insurance covering property damage from vandalism and malicious mischief