definitions

vandal

[ van-dl ]
/ ˈvæn dl /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vandal ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(initial capital letter) a member of a Germanic people who in the 5th century a.d. ravaged Gaul and Spain, settled in Africa, and in a.d. 455 sacked Rome.
a person who willfully or ignorantly destroys or mars something beautiful or valuable.

adjective

(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Vandals.
imbued with or characterized by vandalism.

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RELATED WORDS

destroyer, looter, thief, plunderer, hoodlum, mischief-maker, pirate, despoiler, pillager, ravager

Nearby words

vanbrugh, vance, vancomycin, vancouver, vanda, vandal, vandalia, vandalic, vandalism, vandalize, vandals

Origin of vandal

First recorded in 1545–55, vandal is from the Late Latin word Vandalus, Latinized tribal name
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vandal

British Dictionary definitions for vandal (1 of 2)

vandal

/ (ˈvændəl) /

noun

  1. a person who deliberately causes damage or destruction to personal or public property
  2. (as modifier)vandal instincts

Word Origin for vandal

C17: from Vandal, from Latin Vandallus, of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for vandal (2 of 2)

Vandal

/ (ˈvændəl) /

noun

a member of a Germanic people that raided Roman provinces in the 3rd and 4th centuries ad before devastating Gaul (406–409), conquering Spain and N Africa, and sacking Rome (455): crushed by Belisarius at Carthage (533)

Derived Forms

Vandalic (vænˈdælɪk), adjectiveVandalism, noun
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