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
Although authorities have not confirmed the victims' identities, Dennis Prince's law firm, Prince Law Group, has a statement at the top of its website addressing the shooting.
—
Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
The idea was to change the narrative from the victims’ perspective in Germany to a Jewish patriarch and Holocaust survivor who had lost everything – and everyone, and then came back to rebuild his life.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Advocates who have been working with the victims’ families embraced the scholarship as a first step toward honoring the men.
—Teo Armus, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The case went cold, and the victim was not identified until earlier this year following recent attempts to identify her.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
In California, lawmakers banned the GM subsidiary from operating its vehicles in the state after one of them ran over a San Francisco pedestrian and dragged them over 20 feet in October, after another vehicle threw the victim into the robotaxi’s path.
—Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 10 Apr. 2024
In his first and last statement addressing the court Tuesday, James Crumbley apologized to the victims' families.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024
Jennifer Crumbley addressed the court and the victims' families before her sentencing Tuesday.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
The crowd could be seen scattering as shooting victims fell to the ground, some failing to get up.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
The idea was to change the narrative from the victims’ perspective in Germany to a Jewish patriarch and Holocaust survivor who had lost everything – and everyone, and then came back to rebuild his life.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Advocates who have been working with the victims’ families embraced the scholarship as a first step toward honoring the men.
—Teo Armus, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The case went cold, and the victim was not identified until earlier this year following recent attempts to identify her.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
In California, lawmakers banned the GM subsidiary from operating its vehicles in the state after one of them ran over a San Francisco pedestrian and dragged them over 20 feet in October, after another vehicle threw the victim into the robotaxi’s path.
—Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 10 Apr. 2024
In his first and last statement addressing the court Tuesday, James Crumbley apologized to the victims' families.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024
Jennifer Crumbley addressed the court and the victims' families before her sentencing Tuesday.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
The crowd could be seen scattering as shooting victims fell to the ground, some failing to get up.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
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 18 Apr. 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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