victim

noun

vic·​tim ˈvik-təm 

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

victimhood

ˈvik-təm-ˌhu̇d 

noun

Synonyms

• casualty
• fatality
• loss
• prey

Examples of victim in a Sentence

the victims of a hoax

He was the victim of an error.

Recent Examples on the Web

That fight for victim's rights has shaped all their lives. —Erin Moriarty, Liza Finley, CBS News, 4 May 2025

These good samaritans often crack cold cases and use dogs, drones and helicopters to rescue everyone from natural disaster victims to missing children. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 3 May 2025

One thing is clear—inside every culprit, there’s a victim crying for help. —Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Time, 3 May 2025

In search of a motive, detectives got a search warrant for the victim’s CSUN email account, court records show. —Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin victima; perhaps akin to Old High German wīh holy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing victim

• fall victim to
• fashion victim
• victim mentality

Rhymes for victim

• dictum

Kids 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