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
Cinematographers Alejandro Chávez and Trevor Roach shoot the underworld where the victims work and live with limited light sources creating a drab, oppressive environment that highlight the subhuman conditions they are subjected to.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Law enforcement officials have not disclosed what led to his arrest or any details about the alleged victim.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Aug. 2024
Authorities are investigating the death of a female attendee who died on the first day of the Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
Burning Man’s emergency services personnel found the victim unresponsive around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the Burning Man Project.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2024
Authorities identified the shooter as Jason Williams, 53, and the victim as 25-year-old Megan Keleman.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 18 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for victim 
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Law enforcement officials have not disclosed what led to his arrest or any details about the alleged victim.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Aug. 2024
Authorities are investigating the death of a female attendee who died on the first day of the Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
Burning Man’s emergency services personnel found the victim unresponsive around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the Burning Man Project.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2024
Authorities identified the shooter as Jason Williams, 53, and the victim as 25-year-old Megan Keleman.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 18 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for victim
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 9 Sep. 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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