The Meaning and Origin of Vigilante

Vigilante entered English in the 19th century, borrowed from the Spanish word of the same spelling which meant “watchman, guard” in that language. The Spanish word can be traced back to the Latin vigilare, meaning “to keep awake.” The earliest use of the word in English was to refer to a member of a vigilance committee, a committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily, as when the processes of law appear inadequate. The word may often be found in an attributive role, as in the phrases “vigilante justice,” or “vigilante group.” In this slightly broadened sense it carries the suggestion of the enforcement of laws without regard to due process or the general rule of law.

Examples of vigilante in a Sentence

the danger of these self-appointed vigilantes is that they sometimes go after innocent people

Recent Examples on the Web Naturally, Trump has also defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the Trump-supporting vigilante who shot three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, two of them fatally. — Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, "Trump seemingly boasts about executing an American without trial," 30 Sep. 2020 This time, Queen Latifah is the titular vigilante, a divorced single mother named Robyn McCall, and she is surround by a supporting cast including Chris Noth, Adam Goldberg, and Lorraine Toussaint. — Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "This week’s TV: Nacho average football game, Queen Latifah as ‘The Equalizer,’ Snoopy gets a show," 1 Feb. 2021 Still, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner and a long line of Black people had already lost their lives to police and vigilante violence in recent years. — NBC News, "Ijeoma Oluo on why it's time for white male mediocrity to lose its power," 22 Dec. 2020 Armed vigilante groups marauded throughout the South, openly threatening voters and even carrying out political assassinations. — Christopher Frear, Smithsonian Magazine, "Meet Joseph Rainey, the First Black Congressman," 5 Jan. 2021 In the film—which premiered at Sundance and hits theaters on Christmas Day—Carey Mulligan stars as Cassandra, a coffee-shop employee by day and vigilante by night. — Emma Specter, Vogue, "Promising Young Woman Is a Sexual Assault Movie Worthy of Its Subject," 23 Dec. 2020 The steel pillar captured the imaginations of millions around the world before it was toppled late Friday, apparently by a group of vigilante litter enforcers, reducing it to bent metal panels and carting them off, presumably to be recycled. — Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, "It might be gone, but the monolith highlighted Utah’s role as a world-class venue for land art," 2 Dec. 2020 Starting in April, demonstrations against lockdowns prompted makeshift vigilante groups to move offline and into the real world. — Lyndon French • New York Times, Star Tribune, "A few keystrokes summon vigilantes to Kenosha, Wisconsin," 17 Oct. 2020 Oath Keepers is one of numerous vigilante groups that have flocked to cities where police killings and protests have sometimes been followed by property damage and violence. — Washington Post, "Behind the armor: Men seek ‘purpose’ in protecting property despite charges of racism," 5 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vigilante.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.