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

Upon arrival at around 3:35 a.m., officers witnessed the suspect shoot one of the victims through the open front door. —Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2025

Many of the victims were retired or near retirement—the IRA piece of the business had appealed to them. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

He was arrested in January 2024 after one of his victims came forward to police. —Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 20 June 2025

The victim has suffered trauma to the head from a blunt object, but did not appear to be shot, police said. —Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 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