vandalism

[van-dl-iz-uhm]

noun

1. deliberately mischievous or malicious destruction or damage of property.

   vandalism of public buildings.

2. the conduct or spirit characteristic of the Vandals.

3. willful or ignorant destruction of artistic or literary treasures.

4. a vandalic act.

vandalism

/ ˈvændəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the wanton or deliberate destruction caused by a vandal or an instance of such destruction

Other Word Forms

• vandalistic adjective
• vandalish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vandalism¹

1790–1800; vandal + -ism; compare French vandalisme

Example Sentences

National outlets like Fox have spent weeks misrepresenting the character of Portland’s ICE protests by running footage from anti-police demonstrations in the summer of 2020 that involved aggression, vandalism and property damage.

Read more on Salon

Taylor said he requested an investigation of the flag by the Capitol Police, calling the flag “vandalism.”

Read more on Salon

The rallies have been largely peaceful, though some nights have seen spates of violence and vandalism.

Read more on Barron's

Although the protests were largely peaceful, there were several incidents of vandalism and arson early in the morning and some people in masks clashed with police later on.

Read more on BBC

The court was told Khan had 17 previous convictions in Sweden, including for carrying a knife, threatening behaviour and vandalism.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• mischief