vigilante

noun

vig·​i·​lan·​te ˌvi-jə-ˈlan-tē 

: a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate)

broadly : a self-appointed doer of justice

vigilantism

ˌvi-jə-ˈlan-ˌti-zəm 

noun

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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.

Synonyms of vigilante

• nemesis
• avenger
• punisher

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

No fanfare had attended its completion near what is now Santa Clarita in 1926, the better to avoid attention from Owens Valley vigilantes, who were known to dynamite aqueduct pipes as protest against the diversion of their river water. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

The massacre devastated Wilmington’s flourishing Black middle class and sent a message of impunity to white vigilantes nationwide. — Namara Smith, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026

Appearances by the unrelenting (and scene-stealing) Frank Castle, the vigilante known as the Punisher, also demand a more accountable hero. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026

Married assassin Yoo Bo Na (played by Gong Hyo Jin, who’s returning to MBC after 15 years) is back to her vigilante ways after a break, but has to evade potential discovery by her husband, an investigative journalist. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vigilante

• chianti
• ante
• anti
• auntie
• canty
• grantee
• panty
• scanty
• shanty

Kids Definition

vigilante

noun

vig·​i·​lan·​te ˌvij-ə-ˈlant-ē 

: a member of a group of volunteers who decide on their own to stop crime and to punish criminals