victim

American  

[vik-tim] / ˈvɪk tɪm /

noun

• victims
  plural

1. a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action or agency.

   A passing motorist offered assistance to the victims of a car accident.

   Victims of workplace abuse are encouraged to speak out.

2. a person who is deceived or cheated, as by their own emotions or ignorance, by the dishonesty of others, or by some impersonal agency.

   I had fully expected the flight to arrive on time, but I was the victim of misplaced confidence.

   The swindler’s victims report losing thousands of dollars in the scheme.

3. a person or animal sacrificed or regarded as sacrificed.

   war victims.

4. a living creature sacrificed in religious rites.

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victim British  

/ ˈvɪktɪm /

noun

1. a person or thing that suffers harm, death, etc, from another or from some adverse act, circumstance, etc

   victims of tyranny

2. a person who is tricked or swindled; dupe

3. a living person or animal sacrificed in a religious rite

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Usage

Referring to someone with a disability or chronic disease as a victim may make it seem as though they are defeated and made helpless by their condition. This can be avoided by using wording such as a person who has (or experiences ) or a person with the condition. Similarly, a person who has experienced abuse, especially sexual abuse or assault, may prefer to be known as a survivor rather than a victim, emphasizing their own agency and the fact of having come through the experience and striving to heal from it rather than continuing to be kept down by it. However, victim is often used in legal contexts, where the injustice and criminality of the abuse is in focus, or when speaking of its short- and long-term effects on the one who is abused. This term may also be preferred by those who wish to draw attention to the gravity of the abuse, or to the vulnerability of particular groups of people to the kind of violence in question. Still other terminology, such as victim-survivor, may be preferred by some individuals. As with all words referring to people, it is best to ask the person what their preference is.

Using the word victim or victims in relation to chronic illness or disability is often considered demeaning and disempowering. Alternative phrases such as who experiences , who has been diagnosed with , or simply with and then the name of the disability or illness, can be used instead

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonvictim
  noun
• victimhood
  noun
• victimless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• victims
  plural

Etymology

Origin of victim

First recorded in 1490–1500 ; from Latin victima “sacrificial animal,” of disputed origin

Explanation

Use the word victim to describe someone who has been wronged or harmed, like the victim of the armed robbery or the stores that went out of business, victims of the slow economy. The noun victim refers to a person who has been harmed by a crime, accident, or other adverse circumstances, such as a victim of a tsunami or a victim of domestic violence. It can also refer to someone has been tricked or swindled, like when you paid $2 for a candy bar that should only have cost a dollar — you were the victim of someone's scheme to pocket half the money from the candy bar sale.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

victim victims

Gov. Kathy Hochul is demanding that legislators make changes to a law critics say protects abusers if a victim knowingly drank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

In a victim impact statement provided to the court, that young man said he struggled to talk about what had happened.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

If you suspect an elderly relative is a victim of elder financial abuse, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311 or legal services and Adult Protective Services.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

"No victim of domestic abuse should be denied support because of where they live."

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

A dark wisp of smoke—Percy guessed it must be an eidolon—seeped into a Cyclops, made the monster hit himself in the face, then drifted off to possess another victim.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

The Harpers, along with other victims and their families are campaigning for a public inquiry into the Creeslough explosion.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Alleged victims must still prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they were too impaired to consent—and that the accused should have known it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

New York's State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said in a statement to the BBC New York's current laws were sufficient, and that "people have been convicted of rape in cases involving voluntarily intoxicated victims".

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

A court hearing is set for December to determine what is owed to other victims.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

The victims had to call a doctor and take medicine to calm down or sleep.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• casualty
• dead
• fatality
• injured
• sufferer
• wounded