vigilante

[ vij-uh-lan-tee ]
See synonyms for: vigilantevigilantes on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a member of a vigilance committee.

  2. any person who takes the law into their own hands, such as by avenging a crime.

adjective
  1. done violently and summarily, without recourse to lawful procedures: vigilante justice.

Origin of vigilante

1
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; from Spanish: literally, “vigilant”

Other words from vigilante

  • vig·i·lan·te·ism, vig·i·lan·tism [vij-uh-lan-tiz-uhm, vij-uh-luhn-tiz-uhm], /ˌvɪdʒ əˈlæn tɪz əm, ˈvɪdʒ ə lənˌtɪz əm/, noun

Words that may be confused with vigilante

Words Nearby vigilante

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vigilante in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vigilante

vigilante

/ (ˌvɪdʒɪˈlæntɪ) /


noun
  1. one of an organized group of citizens who take upon themselves the protection of their district, properties, etc

  2. Also called: vigilance man US a member of a vigilance committee

Origin of vigilante

1
C19: from Spanish, from Latin vigilāre to keep watch

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012